


Calloway University

by birdsofmalcontent



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anthropology Major Sapnap, College, Coming Out, Denial of Feelings, Dorms, English Major Dream, English Major Technoblade, F/M, Hookups, M/M, Nicknames, Nonexplicit Sexual Content, Parties, Roommates, Sexual Tension, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Smut in the 11th Chapter FYI, Strangers to Lovers, Sword Fighting, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:33:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29621367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdsofmalcontent/pseuds/birdsofmalcontent
Summary: If you repeat something over and over, it's bound to come true.Dream is not "gay for Gatsby", as Sapnap has so eloquently put it.He just thinks Techno is attractive in a platonic way.Wait a minute-
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap & Wilbur Soot, Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 256
Kudos: 1035
Collections: favoritestwo





	1. Campus Geese

Eight days of driving was, to say the least, absolute hell. 

Eight nights of staying in cheap motels with crap air conditioning was absolute hell. 

Now, at the end of those eight days of hell, Dream is standing in front of a tall, menacing building on his college campus and feeling like he might pass out. 

"Why do you look so pale?" Drista asks from beside him. 

"He's nervous, sweetheart." Their mom says from behind them, dragging Dream's suitcase from the tightly-packed trunk of the car. Sharla sets down the suitcase next to her son. "Can you two help me get these out?"

The air in Oregon is nicer than in Florida, Dream observes. It's sweeter, honestly. There are also a lot more conifers everywhere, with pine trees and cedars scattered across the campus, and Dream wonders why they don't have more of them back in Orlando. 

"Are you gonna die?" Drista asks, grabbing his chin to make them look at each other. 

"No, get your hands off me." Dream twists out of his sister's grip and looks back to the building in front of him. "I'm just... I hate change."

"You could've just gone to U Orlando and stayed close," Drista replies. 

"No, I..."

"Calloway is a good change for you," Sharla says, dragging another bag from the car. "Dream, what else is yours?"

"Shouldn't we keep this all here until we know what room I'm going to?" Dream asks, eyeing the uncomfortably tall stack of the essentials he'll need to live. "I don't want to carry everything around."

The ominous building he's been staring at is the dorm hall he's going to be staying in. It's called "Oppurtunity Hall", reserved for freshmen in the Bishop Honors College, and it's terrifying to look at, all dark bricks and gray windows. 

The air is cold inside. Dream feels a deep pit of anxiety in his stomach as he looks around at the unfamiliar lobby area. 

There's also a table set up with two young ladies sitting behind it. A sign hangs from the table. It reads "WELCOME FRESHMEN" in big green and black letters. 

"Name?" One of the ladies says when Dream approaches the table. She's maybe a few years older than he is with black hair tied into a bun and kind-looking eyes. 

"Clay Talenti," Dream says, cracking his thumb knuckle on impulse. His mom stands beside him, close enough that she's a comforting presence. 

"That's a good ice cream," the second lady comments as the one who spoke digs through the crate on the table. Unlike her companion, Lady 2 has shiny blonde hair that's curled and styled to look almost like a Barbie doll. She's very pretty. 

"It is," Dream says, looking at his shoes, both because he doesn't want to stare and he hates when people make the comparison between his name and the gelato brand. 

"Here you go, Clay," Lady 1 says, holding up a green folder and handing it to Dream. "You're up on the third floor, room 426, and I think your roommate has already moved in. All the info you need is in here," she taps the folder in his hand, "along with your room key, your schedule, and your temporary ID card until you get your picture taken. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Dream nods, feeling very overwhelmed by this whole situation but plastering a smile on his face. "Thank you."

"No problem, it's what I'm here for. I'm Melanie, by the way," she holds out her hand and Dream shakes it, "and I'm kind of the unofficial manager of this building. If you have any questions about rules or something, you can come to me, alright?"

"Yes, thank you," Dream says with a weaker smile. 

"This is Kelly," Melanie, says, referring to the pretty blonde girl. 

"Hi." Dream blushes as Kelly looks him up and down. 

"Hi," Kelly says. 

Dream wonders if she has a boyfriend. 

"Let's go get your stuff?" Sharla says, snapping Dream out of the trance he's in. 

They retrieve a lot of stuff from the car and head up to the fourth floor via the elevator (an elevator that doesn't make Dream feel like he's going to die at any second) and find the correct dorm. A boy is already in there, sitting on one of the beds and playing something on a bright yellow Switch. 

"Hello?" Dream says tentatively. 

"Hey!" The boy looks up with a grin. He's got shaggy black hair tied into space buns and a huge grin that Dream feels like he can trust. "You must be Clay!"

"I am! You can call me 'Dream', though."

"Alright, Dream. I'm Nick, but you can call me 'Sapnap'." Sapnap slides off his bed and shakes Dream's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"I'll leave you in peace so you can get unpacked! Good to be living with you!" Sapnap grabs his Switch and leaves, giving a nod to Sharla and Drista as he does so. 

Dream... Dream likes him so far. He seems respectful and confident, and based on the current state of the room, he doesn't seem to be too awful. There's a Panic! at the Disco poster above Sapnap's bed and a little cactus on the windowsill and his water bottle has a bisexual pride flag on it. 

Sharla and Drista help him set up (Drista doesn't really help much, just looks over Sapnap's side of the room and complains), putting clothes away in the closet and the foldable dresser drawers Dream got for the room. His favorite pair of forest green sheets go on the bed, his pencils go on the desk, and his own little house plant, a jade plant he's had for a decade, goes on the windowsill behind his own bed. 

"So, now that you're all moved in here, I get your room at home, right?" Drista says when they're finished. She's lounged on Dream's new office chair, spinning around and around.

"No! I'm still gonna come back eventually, especially for Christmas break, and I would still need a place to sleep." Dream finishes putting his socks into the correct drawer. "Besides, you have your own room."

"Nobody is moving around in the house," Sharla says. "Now come on, let's take Clay to dinner and head out."

As they're walking back down the hall, they pass Sapnap again. He and Dream share a highfive, one that Sapnap initiates, and it's a nice gesture. 

They also pass...

Well, to describe him as "pissed off" might be an understatement. It's a man with a bright pink undercut and angry eyes behind round, wire-rimmed glasses. He's looks way too put-together for being a college student, and the contrast between Dream's Calloway sweatshirt and the beige button-down he has on. 

He's attractive, Dream can tell. 

Dream doesn't like having that thought. The man seems mean and he definitely doesn't like guys like that. 

The man stalks off in the opposite direction of the Talenti's, obviously with somewhere to go and a goal of getting there without distractions. 

Dream wonders if he'll ever see the guy again. 

*****************

Drista complains all through dinner, but in the way that means she's going to miss Dream when they leave to drive back to Florida. 

They separate after dinner. Sharla doesn't cry, she never does, but Dream does and Drista does. Many hugs are shared, and then they leave and Dream is alone. 

On the walk back to the dorms, Dream sees a pond with geese floating lazily in it. They're big white birds, obviously feral ones rather than some kind of wild species, and there's a sign next to the pond. 

"The Calloway campus has long taken pride in its natural greenery. Local plants are grown and cared for without the use of harsh chemicals. This pond, built in 1953 under the watch of George Calloway's grandaughter, Veronica Calloway, houses local birds year-round, including ducks, geese, herons, wading birds, and, most notably, the breeding pair of white geese that live in the house across the pond from this sign. George and Allison, named for the college founder and his wife, are a popular attraction for Calloway and have parented many broods of goslings since they landed in 2013."

The geese are plump and pretty, obviously very at-home in the pond. Dream hopes to soon be as comfortable as they look. 

Note to self: be a campus goose. 

Sapnap is playing his Switch again when Dream gets back to the dorm room. He sets it down when Dream enters, though, and sits up with a smile. "Hi."

"Hi."

"You go to dinner?"

"Yeah. There's a pizza place a few blocks from here."

"Good?"

"Yeah." Dream sits down on his bed. Their beds are on opposite sides of the room so Dream is sitting facing Sapnap. "So, hello."

"Hi."

"I feel like we should get to know each other a little bit, if we're going to be living with each other for a year. 

"I can do that. Hi, my name is Nick, I go by Sapnap, I moved here from Houston and I'm majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Computer Science."

"Hi, my name is Clay, I go by Dream, I moved here from Orlando and I'm majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Computer Science."

"So we'll have classes together maybe," Nick beams. "Nice to meet you, Dream."

"Nice to meet you, Sapnap."

They talk for a long time. Dream feels immediately comfortable around Sapnap, and Sapnap seems confident enough with himself that he doesn't make Dream feel out of place. 

By midnight, they decide to stop talking and do their own things. Sapnap plays on his Switch (Animal Crossing, he showed his island to Dream) and Dream pulls out his journal. 

_Day 1_

_It is not horrible here so far. The campus is pretty and the food at the pizza place nearby was delicious._

_I already miss Mom and Drista. Drista has claimed that I am no longer allowed back in the house now that I've left, but I hope Mom will overrule her on that._

_I passed a man in the hallway today. He looked remarkably angry about something. He seemed young enough to be a student so I think I'll run into him again. I'd like to know what he was mad about out. His hair was bright pink and it looked soft. I don't know why I think that, but I do._

_There was also a girl, Kelly, who gave me my room key. She's very pretty and I'd like to talk to her more._

_There are geese on the campus, a pair named George and Allison. They seemed very comfortable in their habitat, and I think I would like to try and be a campus goose._

_I am ready to see what this semester holds._


	2. Pink, Mint, and Coffee Brown

Dream and Sapnap's dorm is connected to another dorm next door via one giant communal bathroom (shower, toilet, four sinks). They meet their neighbors the morning after they move in. 

"Wilbur Soot, nice to meet you," the taller says. He's wearing a bright yellow sweater and a red beanie and he's got a British accent. "This is George."

"Hello," George says. He's shorter than Sapnap and has a British accent as well. 

"International students?" Sapnap asks. They're in George and Wilbur's room, Sapnap sitting in one of their chairs. One side of the room minimalistic, all the decorations in blacks and blues, and the other has a guitar hanging on one wall and a poster for Glenn Miller on the other. Dream wonders which belongs to who. 

"Sort of? I lived in Brighton for the first ten years of my life, then moved to New York with my family. I've got dual citizenship now," Wilbur says with a smile. 

"And I was just born and raised in London," George says. He does have a much thicker accent than Wilbur, as well as a different one. Dream isn't sure how the hell there are so many British accents from a country smaller than the state of Oregon. 

"That's cool. I'm Texas born and raised and Dream's from Florida."

"I lived in Montreal for a while." Dream feels a million miles away, just staring at all the belongings of these two new people and remembering how weird this all is. 

"Oh, I've been to Montreal! Do you know any French?" Wilbur asks.

He's in college. He's 3,000 miles away from his home and his family and all his old friends and he's starting a new life in a new state and oh my god, he's not qualified for this, he's not ready for this. 

"A bit, yeah, I..." And there it is, the feeling of elevated anxiety rushing over him. Dream starts picking up every little sound around him from the fizzing of an open pop can to the click of George's teeth as he chews goldfish. 

"You good, dude? You look pale." Sapnap looks him up and down. 

"Yeah, I... I need to go lay down for a minute." Dream digs his nails into his palm for something to focus on, then turns back to the door that leads to his own room. "It was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you, too," Wilbur says, but Dream is just focusing on the feeling of the tag of his shirt against his skin. 

Dream splashes his face with water in his sink, then lays down on his bed. His earbuds are charged, thank goodness, and he finds a Spotify playlist to focus on instead of the sounds and feelings going on around him. The first song he doesn't recognize; the second is "Call My Dad" by AJR. 

The universe is kind of a bitch sometimes. 

No, the universe is MAJORLY a bitch sometimes, because the song makes Dream feel like he's going to cry on top of the anxiety attack. 

The song changes fast, though, and he pushes the lump in his throat down into the oblivion he's kept it in for the past three years. He lets the new words rush over him, focusing on them instead of every stupid overwhelming feeling he's having. 

We chase the rising sun

Before we learn to run

We are, we are the young. 

Dream needs a drink from the coffee shop. There's one on campus, he saw it across the goose pond yesterday. Hopefully, they have some kind of flavored iced tea and it doesn't smell too much like coffee in there. 

"You good, dude?" Sapnap steps back into the room, closing the bathroom door behind him. 

"Yeah, I... anxiety."

"That sucks." Sapnap crashes down onto his own bed, dragging his phone out of his pocket in the process. "Anything I can do?"

"No. I just have to work through it on my own, give it a minute. Do you... do you want anything from the coffee place?"

"Just a carmel frappe," Sapnap replies, reaching for his wallet where it's on the window sill. 

"No, no, I'll pay."

"Okay?"

"Be back in a while." Dream leaves with a grin. "Thanks for trying to help."

It's sunny and warm outside. Not as warm as Orlando, though; Dream almost misses the suffocating humidity and sticky heat that perpetuates from April to September. Here, it's a dryer and almost crackling heat that makes Dream feel like he could suffocate if he's out here for too long. 

"Summer in Oregon" would be a good song title. 

The geese are floating lazily in the pond when Dream walks by. They're big white geese with big orange bills, and Dream wonders why they aren't the school mascot, then realizes that the pond was built AFTER the school was founded and there was no way for George Calloway that his granddaughter would build a pond for geese in the '50s. 

When Dream opens the door to the coffee shop (Calloway Coffee: The Best Beans on Campus), he's met with a rush of icy, air-conditioned wind right in the face and the bitter smell that he tries not to hate but does. 

"Hi, how can I help you?" The barista says from behind the counter, and when she looks up, Dream realizes it's Kelly, the girl who gave him his dorm key. "Hey."

"Hi."

"What was your name again?"

"Dream. I mean- my actual name is Clay but I- I go by Dream."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Dream. I'm Kelly."

"I know." Dream feels kinda stupid in front of her. Pretty girls are good at making him flustered (and pretty boys, which makes absolutely no sense at all), and he can feel his cheeks burning. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you!" Kelly smiles, a big grin that Dream loves immediately. 

"Wilson!" A deep voice yells from somewhere behind the counter; Dream can't see its owner. "No flirting on the job!"

"Sorry!" Kelly yells back, then turns back to Dream. "What can I get you, cutie?"

"Ummmmm," Dream says, realizing he hasn't looked at the menu at all. "Do you have anything minty?"

"People really like the Mint Chip smoothie, and we have crème de menthe syrup that can be put into tea and coffee."

"I want... a smoothie sounds good. Mint Chip."

"What size?"

"Large."

Dream doesn't miss the twitch of Kelly's mouth as she smiles, and it makes him blush even harder. She rings the drink up on the cash register. "Is that all?"

"No, a... large carmel frappe too." 

"Alrighty." Kelly says with a smile. 

As they finish the transaction and Kelly begins the drinks, Dream glances around the shop. It's aesthetic, with bar stools by the windows, white mugs hanging in a row, and a minimalistic plant in the corner. There's only two other patrons in there: an older lady that might be a professor, and the pink-haired man Dream nearly ran into yesterday. 

The man is... well, Dream likes people-watching, and he could watch this guy for hours (not in a creepy way, he swears). The man is stretched out in an easy chair, his nose in a book. Sunlight flows in through the window behind him, casting beams across his sharp features and shining off his glasses. He looks at peace and remarkably tense at the same time, like he's in his element but will never relax. 

Dream wants to go talk to him, but he doesn't, because Kelly calls his name before he can make up his mind. He tears his eyes away from the pretty stranger and grabs the drinks from the counter. 

"See you around, sweetheart," Kelly says with a flirtatious smile. 

There's a heart drawn on his lid in Sharpie. 

****************************

His first official college class and Dream already wants to throw something. 

It's an "Intro to Creative Writing and Rhetoric" class, he can't for the life of him remember the official name, and Professor Scott speaks in a tone that makes Dream want to fall asleep and scream very loudly at the same time. 

It's fine. 

Sapnap's here with him, and since they're in the Honors College, there are only 27 people in the class. Dream's got a math class on Tuesdays and Thursdays that will be in a lecture hall, but right now they're in a little building in the Clark building. 

And there's the pink-haired guy, sitting in the front row and looking way too awake for an 8:30 class. 

"Who are you staring at?" Sapnap mutters, following Dream's line of vision. 

"That pink-haired guy."

"I understand why, he's kinda cute."

"Oh, not- I'm straight."

"Oh." Sapnap looks him up and down quizzically but doesn't say anything more on the topic. "Why, then?"

"I passed him in the hallway on the day I moved in and he looked pissed. I wanted to know what he was pissed about."

"I bet he looks hot when he's pissed."

"What?" Dream raises an eyebrow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"He has the energy of a Disney villain, dude!" 

"That's... that's the weirdest thing I've heard you say so far."

Sapnap's not wrong, though. The pink-haired guy seems to hold confident energy that Dream feels a little intimidated by. 

Maybe that's why he's intrigued: strange energy. 

That's not a good explanation. 

There's a braid in the guy's hair, right at the edge of his undercut. It's tight and obviously made by skilled hands. 

Why the hell is his hair pink?

And then he turns his head and Dream is met by the pale blue eyes of the stranger. It's a terrifying moment, especially since they hold eye contact for a moment, but Dream quickly drops his gaze when the stranger's mouth twists into a frown. 

"What exactly is 'rhetoric'?" Professor Scott asks. Dream finally tunes into the class. "Who can tell me?"

The pink-haired guy raises his hand. Professor Scott points to him. "Yes?"

"Rhetoric is the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques." The guy has a deep voice that's honey-sweet and too nice to listen to.

"Good. What's your name?" Professor Scott asks. 

"Techno Craft."

"I don't have a 'Techno' on my roster."

"It's a nickname, ma'am."

"Alright. Very good, Mr. Craft, that sounded very close to the actual textbook definition."

Techno Craft. Weird name. 

Dream doesn't know why, but he wants to hear Techno talk more.


	3. Gatsby and Carraway

Dream keeps seeing Techno Craft all over campus. 

They have four classes together: Intro to Creative Writing, American Lit, Math 253, and History 154. Math is the only class in a lecture hall, and Dream guesses there are nearly 200 people in there, but all the others are small classes for Honors College students. 

Yet he still hasn't spoken a word to Techno in the two weeks since he saw him for the first time. 

Dream's stared at him plenty, passed him in the halls a few times, and heard him speak, but he hasn't had a conversation with Techno yet. 

Until now. 

"Find someone you haven't spoken to yet," Alice says to the American Lit class. She's an incredibly nice professor so far and she's younger than most of Dream's other teachers. "Discuss the first 10 chapters of the Great Gatsby and tell me: is Jay Gatsby a good man?"

Dream is surprised for Techno to plop down in the empty desk next to him, eyes cold and mouth thin. He looks Dream up and down before speaking. "Hello."

"Hi." Somewhere in Dream's mind, something rejoices over the fact that he can hear Techno's voice again, but he pushes it far down in his chest and doesn't pay attention to it. "Didn't expect you to come over here."

"Your lackey isn't here and you've been staring at me every time we see each other. Obviously, you were hoping I would come over here." Techno looks him over once again. "Clay."

"Just Dream."

"Dream?"

"Dream." Rude to question his nickname when he goes by 'Techno'. That can't be his real name, truly. "Techno."

Techno nods. "You've read the book, correct?"

"Six times, yeah. It's my favorite book." 

"Thank you for informing me of that."

"You're welcome?" 

"I was being sarcastic. Now, what are you thinking for Mrs. Day's question?"

"Oh, I..." Dream feels a little flustered. Techno is intimidating; Sapnap was right, he does have the energy of a Disney villain. "I'm not sure."

"Well, I think it's impossible to decide whether Gatsby is a good or bad character. He is 'great' in the way he owns too many things and throws giant parties, but at the same time as him making people happy by throwing the parties, he's not doing anything necessarily 'good'."

Dream just nods along as Techno speaks. 

"At the same time," Techno continues, "he's a bitchy rich man who goes through life believing that his wealth determines the fact that he deserves everything his heart desires, but I don't think he ever does anything necessarily 'bad', or bad enough to make him a bad person all around." 

"I agree, yeah."

"Do you have anything to add?"

"I... yeah, actually. I don't think Nick Carraway is a reliable narrator."

"How so?" Techno raises an eyebrow, looks right into Dream's soul with his icy blue eyes, and Dream tries hard to stand his ground. 

"I just... Nick's a character in the story and he gets influenced by everyone around him. He waits to say things to the audience, puts his own emotions into the narrations... I just don't think you can have a human and a reliable narrator at the same time. Even the best and most truthful people can lie about things, and they're still influenced by things in their environment because it's human nature. I don't think Gatsby is good because Nick looks at Gasby through rose-tinted glasses, no matter how light the rose color is, and Gatsby is worshipped in Nick's mind, so we see Nick's opinion of Gatsby rather than a true view."

"You sound like you should be an anthropologist instead," Techno says, and Dream sees the ghost of a grin on his lips. "Good analysis. I agree with it." 

"Thank you." Dream grins.

"Yes. I think Nick's view of Gatsby is distorted in ways, maybe because he feels attracted to Gatsby or even intimidated by him. Gatsby is rich and carefree and a seemingly beautiful spirit, and he speaks to Nick as though they are good friends."

"Attracted to?"

"Nick Carraway is gay, did you not realize that?" Techno looks genuinely surprised. 

Dream thinks about it for a moment, then shakes his head. "No, I wasn't even paying attention to that." Then, "He has a girlfriend, though."

"Well, one couldn't exactly pursue homosexual relationships in 1920's New York, could they?" 

"No, I suppose not... where are you getting this?"

"In the closing of chapter 2, Nick stumbles into Mr. McKee's bedroom while drunk. 'I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.'." Techno doesn't even open the book to say the quote, surprising Dream. "You cannot tell me that they didn't have sex previously to that sentence."

"It... it doesn't necessarily mean that they did."

"Dream, why would someone stand next to another's bed, while drunk, and the person in bed was beneath the sheets and clad in only their underwear, if they had not had intercourse? And before you say 'Maybe they were friends', that's not how society worked in the '20s, and Nick and Mr. McKee have only known each other for a night when that sentence occurs."

"Maybe you have a bias here," Dream says, immediately regretting his choice of words. 

"If you are insinuating that I believe the book has queer subtext because I myself am gay, you must understand that my sexuality does not define how I consume literature and that I am not the first person to have this theory." Techno's voice is steady but sharp, and Dream realizes he's annoyed him. "Besides, it's just a theory. The only man who could say whether or not the idea is true has been dead since 1940." 

"I didn't mean to say anything about you-"

"I'm sure you didn't, but you still did. I choose to look at books from multiple different perspectives, and one of those views queer subtext in popular text partially because I am gay. I don't search it out, though, nor do I create conspiracies or corrupt the great American literary works with the LGBT agenda. Now, if you will please excuse me." Techno stands, still remarkably steady. His clipped words are the only indication of his annoyance with Dream. "Also, please stop staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable and it's rude."

"Sorry."

Techno says nothing else, just sidles back to his own seat and doesn't look at Dream anymore. 

Shit. 

****************

"Good Things Fall Apart" is playing from Sapnap's phone and George is braiding Sapnap's hair when Dream gets back to the dorm.

They've gotten reasonably comfy with George and Wilbur, but that's what happens when you share a toilet with someone. Wilbur is anxious but loud when he's comfortable and he likes music. He's majoring in French and a teaching degree. George is a reserved, quiet Comp Sci major with amazing coding skills. 

"Hi, sweetie, how did class go?" Sapnap asks. He's taken to acting like Dream's mom when Dream comes back from class and Dream has been doing the same to him. 

If Sapnap wasn't as charismatic, Dream would've switched rooms the day they met, but he feels like he and Sapnap have been best friends for years already. Their personalities work well together and Sapnap never makes him uncomfortable. 

"I talked to Techno," Dream says, dropping his bag on his bed, "and majorly pissed him off."

"Techno Craft?" George asks, finishing the right fishtail in Sapnap's hair and moving to the left side. 

"Yeah?"

"That's Wilbur's brother. He's pissed all the time, according to Wilbur."

"He is? They look nothing alike."

"Siblings don't look alike sometimes. You can ask Wil about it when he gets back from the admissions office."

"Why's he at the admissions office?"

"Scholarship stuff. He didn't go into much detail but he sounded stressed."

"That's not good. Hope it all works out."

"Yeah... so you spoke to your crush and messed it all up?"

"I don't have a crush- I'm straight." George lets out a scoff and Dream frowns before continuing. "Techno's just... intriguing. I don't know. He seems like he's really smart and I liked talking to him before I pissed him off."

"How'd you do it?" Sapnap asks. 

"We were... we were talking about the Great Gatsby and he was saying that Nick Carraway is gay and I kind of insinuated that he was only saying that because he was gay too."

"Assumed the man's sexuality and threatened his honor at the same time? Damn, Dream, you really did mess that up." Sapnap snorts at the news while George just shakes his head. 

A knock sounds on the door then. Dream opens and in walks Wilbur, a scowl on his face and an energy drink in his hand. "I hate everything," he growls. 

"What happened?" George asks, finishing the second braid in Sapnap's hair and wrapping an elastic around the end. 

"Got an email that my scholarship was being cancelled, then proceeded to have to wait for forty minutes and miss the second half of my Biology class only to be told that the email was a 'mistake'." Wilbur does the angriest air quotes around the last word that Dream's ever seen. "Fuck, I hated that."

"Well, in lighter news, Dream pissed off your brother." Sapnap runs his hands along the braids and grins at George. 

"Oh, bad idea. How'd you insult him?" Wilbur sits down in Dream's chair and takes a long swig of the energy drink. 

"Kinda insinuated that he was only saying Nick Carraway was gay because he was gay."

Wilbur sucks a gasp through his teeth. "Yeah, that'll do it. Techno hates getting criticism from people, especially when the criticism is a direct jab to his self or is blatantly wrong."

"You're Nick Carraway in this situation," George points out, now lounging on the bed next to Sapnap. "Sap's been saying how you're lowkey obsessed with Techno."

"I'm not obsessed with him."

"You are," Sapnap says, suddenly eating from a bag of Funyuns. He offers one to George, who wrinkles his nose. 

"Oh man, if you're obsessed with Techno, you're definitely Carraway and he's Gatsby," Wilbur laughs. 

"I am not obsessed with him!" Dream says, believing his words less every time he says it. 

"Dream is gay for Gatsby!" Sapnap jokes. 

"I'm not gay!" Dream protests. 

"Mmmmmm, heavy denial. I respect that." Wilbur takes another drink of the electric yellow liquid in the can and sets it down on the desk behind him. "Now, while Dream has a much-needed sexuality crisis and figures out how he'll make amends with my brother, who's up for playing a game?"

Wilbur retrieves a 'National Parks of the USA'-themed Scrabble game and sets it up in the middle of the floor. It's a fun game, one that Dream excels out due to his background of writing, but in between his turns, he thinks about Techno. 

Dream's straight. 

Right?

And he's not 'gay for Gatsby' as Sapnap so eloquently put it. 

Right?

Right. 

Techno is just a fascinating guy. 

And Dream really needs to make amends with him. 

He's not gay for Gatsby. 

He's not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shoutout to nnovis for bookmarking this with "get bookmarked bitch"


	4. Lollipops

Dream doesn't approach Techno again for a week, nor does Techno approach Dream. 

As far as first impressions go, Dream knows that wasn't a good one. He's very embarrassed by the whole thing after Sapnap helped him realize what he did wrong, yet he still wants to talk to Techno and really wants to make it up. 

Second impressions can go better. 

The first thing Dream observes: he only sees Techno during class time, never in the halls of the dorm or in other buildings on campus. Techno doesn't make appearances at the football games either (which Dream gets very invested in), or at the student store or any of the restaurants bordering campus. 

Or maybe Dream just misses him all the time. 

Second thing: Techno's constantly sucking on a lollipop. 

He does it... well, if someone could suck on a lollipop elegantly, Techno does. It looks natural to have a white stick hanging from his mouth, and it's almost a part of him when he speaks, sucker held between his fingers like a cigarette. 

They're usually blue raspberry as well and they turn Techno's tongue electric blue. 

Dream finds himself wanting to taste the blue raspberry in Techno's mouth more than once, but he chalks it up to craving the flavor. 

He's straight. 

He doesn't have a crush on Techno and he doesn't want to kiss him. 

Blue raspberry is a good taste. 

Maybe bribing Techno into giving him a second chance isn't the best choice, but Dream buys three blue raspberry lollipops from the store. 

He catches Techno outside the lecture hall after Math lets out. It was a long lecture, full of polynomials and graphs and derivatives, but Dream was just excited to see if this works. 

"Why are you giving me these?" Techno asks as Dream holds out the three lollipops. 

"As an apology. I wasn't very nice to you and I wanted to say sorry."

"Interesting." Techno eyes the lollipops but doesn't take them. 

"I'm also sorry for staring at you. You were just... interesting, I don't know. I didn't mean to be creepy."

Techno still doesn't take them. 

"They're not poisoned if that's what you're worried about. This is a peace offering; I'm asking for another chance."

"Another chance at what?" Techno asks. 

"Another chance at friendship."

Techno raises an eyebrow but finally grabs the lollipops. The rough tips of his fingers brush Dream's palm for half a second and Dream's breath hitches. 

"Thank you," Techno says, unwrapping one of the lollipops and dropping the other two into his bag. The open one is popped into his mouth and licked with a skilled tongue. Dream tries very hard not to stare. 

"Yeah." Dream takes a deep breath. "Could we do introductions again? Just to... to make this an actual starting over."

"Sure." Techno extends his hand and Dream takes it, breath once again hitching at the contrasting roughness between their skin. "Techno Craft, English major."

"Dream Talenti, English major." They shake hands; Techno's grip is strong but respectable. "Nice to meet you, Techno."

"Nice to meet you, too." Techno glances down at his watch. "Do you want to join me for coffee?"

"Sure?"

Well, that definitely worked. 

Techno takes longer strides than Dream does despite the fact that he's only a smidge taller, and Dream is panting a little when they reach Calloway Coffee again, this time together. 

"Heya, Dreamie," Kelly says when they come up to the counter. "And Dreamie's friend."

Dream blushes at the nickname.

Techno's eyebrows furrow and he frowns but brushes past it. "Medium Calloway Special, please." He turns to Dream. "What do you want?"

"Pomegranate iced tea," Dream says. 

Techno pays for the drinks. Dream doesn't feel like he's in the right position to protest it. 

"You didn't actually make me very mad," Techno says when they're sitting at a table across from each other. Those same pretty sunbeams are slashing across Techno's face.

Now that he's closer, Dream is more able to look at Techno. Icy blue eyes behind wire-framed glasses, tiny freckles scattered across his face (Dream specifically notices the two on his cheek and the one on his ear), a crook on the bridge of his nose and a little gold stud in the soft cartilage at the side of it, and shining, straight teeth are all things Dream notices. 

Dream is not gay for Gatsby, but Techno is attractive and he's not afraid to admit that. 

"You're staring again," Techno says, taking a drink of his pale brown drink. 

"Sorry."

"Why do you do it?"

"You're... I'm not sure. I like looking at you."

"Thank you." Another sip of the drink. The lollipop is long gone by this point but Techno's tongue is still blue. "You didn't actually make me very mad," he says again. 

"I didn't?"

"No. A little, of course, it wasn't very nice to assume something that might've not been true, but I respect that you challenged me. Not many people try to; they get intimidated by my use of long words and complex ideas. It gets annoying sometimes."

"Oh." That's why they're here, drinking cafe specials after class together: he didn't screw it up too much.

"Yes." Techno's eyes skim around the shop, then land back on Dream. "So, Mr. Talenti, what brings you to Calloway?"

"Full-ride scholarship." The pomegranate syrup in Dream's tea dries his mouth out. "You?"

"Same reason. Got letters from a bunch of places because of my SAT and ACT scores, then published an essay from the New Yorker, got a thousand more offers, and decided to go where the dice roll wanted me."

"Dice roll?"

"Yeah, I put all my top 10 choices in a random generator and Calloway came out on top."

"So you're here because of a generator?" Dream sets his drink on the table and gawks at Techno for a moment. "What were the other options?"

"Yale, M.I.T., Stanford, Oxford, Brown, few others." Techno looks down at his cup. 

"You're very smart."

"I have a photographic memory."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Cool." Dream pauses for a moment, looks at Techno's hands. They're strong and tanned, with a freckle at the base of his right thumb. "Why the lollipops?"

"No, no, you asked a question, now I get to ask. Are you romantically involved with the barista?"

Dream blushes. "No, we've just flirted a few times."

"Interesting."

"What's with the lollipops?"

"I have a bit of an oral fixation. Why'd you choose Calloway?"

"Came to this town once a long time ago, really enjoyed it, thought I'd like spending my college years here. The full-ride was nice, too." Dream's still watching Techno's fingers as they thump against the wooden top of the table. "Sorry for assuming you were gay."

"I... you weren't wrong, I suppose, just- just don't do it again. It was still rude, even if you were correct in your insinuation."

"You're..."

"Yes, I'm gay. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, no, I- my roommate is bisexual and my older sister is gay."

Techno frowns. "That doesn't answer whether or not you have a problem with it."

"I don't, I swear."

"Good. Because I would have to never speak to you if you were homophobic in some way."

"I'm very far from that. Completely supportive." Dream stops before he says something stupid. "You and Wilbur don't look very much alike."

"Because we're not related. Both of us are adopted. I live a much better life now than I used to." Techno's eyes flick down for half a second, maybe to Dream's throat, then they're back to Dream's eyes. "What dorm building do you live in?"

"Same one as your brother. We share a bathroom. What's your real name?"

"That's a third-date question."

"This isn't a date."

"Precisely. We're far from a date so you don't get to know my real name. Simple as that."

"Oh." Dream wants to know Techno's real name. He could probably ask Wilbur, but that would ruin the fun of it all.

"And of course this isn't a date. You've made it clear that you're blatantly, remarkably, undeniably straight and it would be awful of me to flirt with a straight man."

"Yes."

Because he's not gay for Gatsby and this isn't a date, it's a get-together between acquaintances and he's having a good time so far. Nevermind the fact that he likes looking at Techno's hands or his mouth or has caught himself wondering what it would be like to touch the braid into Techno's hair. 

The rest of the coffee hangout is nice. They continue the quickfire questions, slowly learning more about each other. Techno's double majoring in Criminology and Creative Writing and minoring in Music, specifically the trombone. Techno hates most modern literature because nothing is new, but he likes classics like "Huckleberry Finn" and "Great Expectations". He lived in California before he got adopted by Phil and Kristin Craft when he was 11. Wilbur is a year older and he has a younger brother named Tommy. Techno lives in his own apartment off-campus and publishes his writing as a part-time job. 

They shake hands as a farewell. Techno's grip is still strong; Dream likes touching Techno's hands. 

On his walk back to the dorm, Dream passes the goose pond and sees the geese twirling around each other in the water, doing a simple aquatic dance and looking peaceful as ever. Dream again hopes to be peaceful enough to dance with someone like that. 

His brain wonders if he could dance with Techno. 

Dream shakes his head and continues walking. 

Why would he ever dance with Techno?


	5. Game Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi kids, i don't want any kelly slander, but yell at dream all you want
> 
> contains underage drinking and nonexplicit sexual content (hence the mature warning on the book)
> 
> also, whoever bookmarked this as "techno just vibing while dream goes through the seven stages of gay panic", i love you

As September slowly transitions to October, Dream goes to football games with Sapnap, codes programs with George, plays music with Wilbur, and goes on coffee outings with Techno. 

He and Techno's relationship is an interesting one. They don't really hang out during class, but sometimes one of them texts that they need a break from everything and they meet at Calloway Coffee to get drinks and talk for an hour. 

It's almost like a Friends with Benefits where the benefit is conversation and cafe drinks rather than sex. 

Sex with Techno would be... no, Dream is NOT thinking about that. 

Now, on a cloudy Friday afternoon, it's another one of their get-togethers. 

"Have you ever tried fencing?" Techno asks, taking a long drink of coffee. It's not his usual chocolate macchiato, instead a sweet espresso with cinnamon sprinkled across it. 

"Couple times, yeah. Why?" Dream replies, taking a drink of his own lemonade. It's sparkling and has dashes of orange syrup in it. 

"There's a fencing place a couple of miles from here and I don't know anyone else who would be up for it. You seemed like the right fit." Techno glances out the window beside them and Dream gets a good glance of his side profile. There's a spattering of stubble on his jaw that isn't usually there; Dream knows it's rough to the touch without touching it. 

"You don't seem like the athletic type," Dream muses. 

"I rock-climb and bike and fence and swim. It helps with the overwhelming amount of information I take in on the daily."

"Right. With the photographic memory... God, I don't think I could deal with that."

"A blessing and a curse, truly. I have anxiety attacks sometimes when I don't properly let it all out, but I've been getting better at controlling those."

The admittance feels like information that's too raw to be said in a casual conversation in a coffee shop, but that's one thing about the conversations with Techno: they admit things, show emotions, trust each other. It's intimate and comforting, and Dream thinks the coffee outings are the best part of his week. 

That and the football games. 

Calloway's football team is known for being good and this year they've been crushing it. Dream almost wishes he was on the team, out playing with them as well, but he loves screaming from the bleachers, listening to the band, and shouting praises for the best plays. 

"Do football games overwhelm you?" Dream asks. 

"Sometimes. I don't particularly enjoy going to games, even back in high school, but when I do go, there's only about a 10% chance I'll have an attack."

"That sucks. They're hella fun." 

"I'm sure they are. And before you ask, no, I'm not going to the one today. I have things to do this evening." 

"What, like a date?"

"You sound jealous."

"Only that you're getting some action."

Techno uses his head to motion towards the counter. "As if you haven't fucked the barista already."

"I have not." Hearing such a crass phrase sounds strange coming from Techno's mouth; Dream's not sure if he likes it. "I might eventually."

Techno sucks a breath through his teeth before replying. "Good luck with that."

"So is it a date?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Techno glances at his watch. "I should get going now. Homework, date, the works."

"Alright." Dream feels something weird in his chest when he thinks about Techno going on a date with some guy that he hasn't told Dream about. 

Strange. Techno has his own social life, can go on dates whenever he wants.

"I'll text you details for the fencing place." 

"Sounds good."

"Goodbye, Dream."

"Bye." 

Techno places a hand on his shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze before leaving. It's a simple gesture, one that always occurs when they part, and Dream almost likes having Techno's strong hand grasping his shoulder. It's comforting, just like the rest of Techno is. 

Techno whistles "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town as he leaves. Dream wonders what that means, then remembers it's just a good song. 

*****************

The game is a success. The Calloway Crows win against the Diamante Tech Razorbacks 51-43 and Dream's practically lost his voice by the end of it. He and Sapnap are decked in green and black for the school colors, 'CC' painted on their cheeks, and the whole crowd is running on adrenaline by the time the last touchdown is scored. 

Postgame house parties aren't uncommon so Sapnap and Dream make their way to the Alpha Delta Phi frat house to celebrate it all. 

Dream's been drunk twice before but this time feels different, cheap beer sliding down his throat and hot bodies dancing to the pounding music around him. He's here to celebrate something that someone else accomplished, to party for what his college stands for, and he feels proud. 

He lost Sapnap ages ago, swept into the crowds of people and dancing and excitement. He doesn't really need Sap for this, though, not to cheer for his team and get drunk as hell. 

Dream feels a tap on his shoulder as the songs switch and realizes it's Kelly. She's in a tight crop top with the Calloway logo on it and a little skirt and Dream feels ecstatic to see her. 

They dance together, jump to the beat of the music and grasp hands. She sways her hips like they're meant to move like that, like she's born to dance to bass-heavy songs and drink shitty alcohol and wear tight clothes and grab Dream's waist and wrists like they've known each other forever. 

She murmurs something in his ear, something about one-time things and hot kisses, Dream doesn't remember the exact wording even right after she says it, but he nods and grins because it sounds like it'll feel great, and he lets her pull him upstairs by one hand. 

Dream pushes her against the wall of an empty bathroom, breathes in the pungent scent of her perfume and tastes beer on her tongue. Her lipstick leaves streaks of pigment across his mouth but he doesn't care, he's too caught up in the flow of everything to care. 

Kelly makes him promise that this is a one-time event, no strings attached, and he's too buzzed on adrenaline and alcohol to even ask why, and he's not disappointed by it. She's nice and she kisses good enough, good enough for Dream to feel nice, good enough for a one-time thing. 

He feels the beat of the music in the granite countertop when she sinks to her knees and drags his jeans down with her. Dream grips the edge of the counter and wonders if it would feel this good if his mood was different, if they were in a different setting, but she groans and it feels too good and he lets himself get lost and swept away. 

It scares him a little when, for a single clear moment, he imagines the mouth of a man he's seen sucking on blue raspberry lollipops is wrapped around him instead, but Kelly grips his thigh tight and Dream doesn't think about that anymore, just what's going on right then. 

Another thought sneaks into his mind without his permission, one that reminds him that Techno is on a date somewhere with some guy, and when Kelly stands back up, wiping her mouth and grinning, Dream has to kiss her hard and dirty so he doesn't have to think anymore. 

It feels great to crash into his own bed an hour later, empty water bottle on the windowsill next to his bed and Sapnap still out somewhere. Wilbur takes care of him, makes sure Dream isn't too drunk and that he has a granola bar before he sleeps, and Dream leans on him and murmurs something about pink hair and good kisses, and Wilbur just gives him a knowing smile and drops him into bed. 

In the morning, Sapnap won't tell him where he was but from the looks of it, he had a good night as well. Both of them have pounding headaches and Dream prays that he'll be able to finish that paper that's due tomorrow without downing too much Advil. 

He wishes he could see Techno and talk about something, anything, but Wilbur says Techno is always busy on Saturdays and Dream will definitely be able to see him on Monday at least. 

On Saturday night, they have another game night, just Wilbur, George, Sapnap, and Dream, and it feels amazing to relax and not think about anything rather than the Monopoly board in front of them. George flips the board when he goes bankrupt and Sapnap grabs a puzzle instead (Wilbur's got board games and puzzles galore stashed under his bed), and they end the night playing Cards Against Humanity and laughing their asses off. 

More than once, Dream wishes Techno was there with him, sitting as close to him as George and Sapnap sit next to each other, but he tosses the thought from his mind and falls asleep on the floor with his head on one of Sapnap's sweatshirts. 

He gets a text from Techno on Sunday morning. 

'Fencing on Thursday afternoon, 4:45'

It's not even a question and Dream doesn't need it to be because he would say yes either way. 

Damn, what a good weekend.


	6. High Ground

"Afternoon," Techno says when Dream comes up to him. He's waiting outside the sports complex, bag slung over his shoulder. 

"It is." Dream looks at the bag resting at Techno's hip. "I don't have my stuff, it's all back in Florida."

"Totally cool. They have the gear to rent from here so you don't... well, so we're safe and no one is going to lose an eye." Techno turns to the door. "Shall we?"

One thing Dream has observed: Techno Craft is not worried about his money. Wilbur's said that Techno is good with his finances, that he gets paid handsomely for his published work and artistic jobs, and Dream always wonders how the man ever gets any sleep during his seemingly very busy life, but it's fascinating to watch Techno pay for their drinks at the coffee shop or their $15 fees for use of the sports complex. 

The second thing Dream has observed: Techno, despite describing his social anxiety in detail to Dream, is good at talking to people. He's charismatic in a quiet sort of way, just able to be kind and click with any people he has to interact with. 

The man behind the front desk directs them towards the fencing arena, which is also an arena for boxing, sparring, martial arts, and a Tai Chi class that Techno had expressed intrigue about during their coffee outing on Tuesday. 

Another man, this one big and burly but with the kindest face Dream's ever seen, helps get them set up with proper equipment and a time limit of how long they can practice. He also points to a set of swords on the wall, saying they're available for use as well if you sign a waiver and talk to him about it. 

Techno mutters something about that being a liability and Dream gives him a playful punch to the arm for it, getting a smile from Techno. 

He likes looking at that smile. It's a good one, makes little crinkles form at the corners of Techno's eyes and makes him look a little more awake than he usually does. 

The borrowed gear is a little tight in the wrong places, makes Dream squat and adjust the material every few seconds, but when they get going, when Dream focuses on Techno and the swords rather than everything else, he doesn't really mind it. 

Dream is a little out-of-practice, admittedly, but he picks it back up quickly. His body remembers the movements it once performed and he performs his dance again, this time with Techno as his opponent. Studying something for four years gives you a good knowledge of it, and Dream feels confident as they fall into a rhythm. 

Techno's good at fencing. Dream isn't surprised by it (Techno's good at most things), but he's remarkably graceful in his movements and seems to have the perfect stance and energy at all times. 

Techno fences left-handed even though he writes with his right hand. 

Dream fences right-handed; he's right side dominant for most things except for throwing frisbees and baseballs. He's tried holding the saber in his left hand before, but his wrist is weak enough that it gets sore easily, so he's on the right hand. 

The score is even. It seems as though they switch off evenly between who wins; round 1 goes to Dream, 2 to Techno, and so on. Gentle clanging and clacking fill the air of the small arena, along with shuffling feet and heavy breathing. 

Fencing is an exhausting sport and soon, Dream has to buzz out and collapse on a nearby bench. Techno sits down next to him, hands him a green plastic water bottle and takes a pink one for himself. 

"So, what would you say to grabbing those swords?" Dream asks, drinking heartily from the water. 

"I think we'll have to put on the Pirates of the Caribbean music if we do," Techno replies. "It would be irresponsible."

"We're college students, babe, we're supposed to do irresponsible things."

The pet name causes a pause in their conversation, both silenced by the surprise of it coming out of Dream's mouth in the first place, but Techno quickly breaks it again. "Do you think it'll cost extra?"

"Only one way to find out."

They have to sign three waivers each, stating that the sports complex is merely providing the weapons, the swords will not be removed from the premises, and essentially, if they get hurt, it's their own damn fault. 

Techno grumbles about legality and health insurance. Dream follows the worker and watches excitedly as he takes the two swords down from their display shelf on the wall. 

"Be careful with these," the worker says. His nametag says 'Oliver'.

"We will," Dream replies. 

Oliver leaves them alone just as Techno balances his sword on his finger. "This is well-made."

"Mhm." Dream knows nothing about swords, just knows he likes the flat blade and leather-wrapped hilt of the weapon. 

"They're rapiers," Techno says, spinning his in his hand a few times with graceful, calculated flicks of his wrist. "Someone put a great deal of care into crafting this."

"How did you do that?"

"Do what? This?" Techno spins the sword again. "I had a toy Lightsaber when... it was the first proper toy Phil bought for me. I wanted to know how to spin it, so I figured it out."

"You're good with your hands," Dream says on impulse. 

Techno's eyes widen and his cheeks flush pinker than his hair. "Thank you? I do- I- lots of things. With them. Yeah. Thank you."

"What kind of things?"

Techno composes himself again, though his cheeks are still pink. "Swordfighting, what else?"

That was definitely flirting from both sides, but to his surprise, Dream's not complaining much. Techno seems to be solid enough that he doesn't blush often, so Dream feels accomplished. 

"Oh, I can think of something," Dream mutters, making himself blush. God, that's probably too far, but Techno doesn't look uncomfortable, just flustered and there's something else in his eye... no, Dream's not gay for Gatsby and they're here for sword-fighting, not flirting. "Shall we?"

The balance of the rapier is much different than the saber, but again, they both get the hang of it quickly. The weapons are light enough still that they only require one hand, but it's still exhausting work, and without the formalities that come with fencing, they're constantly moving. 

"Which one of us is Inigo and which is Westley?" Techno pants after a moment. Their swords clang together again, the ringing sounds bouncing off the walls. 

"I would think we were more Jack Sparrow and Will Turner," Dream replies. 

"Or Anakin and Obi-Wan." Techno nearly lands a hit to Dream's (protected) arm, but Dream blocks it. 

"No, I don't like that one."

"Why not?"

"You're definitely Obi-Wan and I don't want to be Anakin." Dream jumps to the side as Techno's sword barely misses his waist. They've been pulling their jabs obviously since they're not in a to-the-death fight, but Dream still doesn't want to gain a bruise to his honor. 

"I have the high ground!" Techno laughs, but stops when he sees the playful frown on Dream's face. "Fine. Then you are Captain Sparrow and I am Will Turner."

"And are you fighting for a girl?"

"Never have, never will, at least not in that way." Techno grins. "I will only defend my lady if you are a dirty pirate who threatens her."

"Dirty pirate?" Dream asks just as Techno's sword comes from above. Dream blocks it by putting his free hand on his blade and holding them both up. They're suddenly very close. "Who are you calling 'dirty'?"

"Would you rather be called 'scallywag'?" Techno asks. 

"How endearing. I was thinking of something warmer."

"Buccaneer?" Techno suggests. He's still pushing his sword against Dream's but they're no longer fighting, just looking at each other. Dream can feel Techno's warm breath fanning over his face; it smells like mangoes. "Captain?"

"No..." Dream's not quite sure where this is going, but the next word out of Techno's mouth drops him at their destination. 

"Beloved?"

"Your beloved Captain Dream? I like the sound of that." And Dream just lets it slide, doesn't pay attention to the fact that Techno called him a romantic name, doesn't pay attention to the blush on Techno's cheeks or the warm glint in his pale blue eyes or the scar in his eyebrow or the pretty pink color of his lips; no, Dream just pushes Techno's sword forward and continues the fight. 

Or maybe he does pay attention to all those, because Techno is handsome and Dream is not gay for Gatsby. He ignores the fact that Techno's smile makes his chest feel warm, ignores the way Techno's body heaves with breath as they duel, ignores the thoughts of being pushed against a wall and Techno winning their fight, but he pays attention to Techno's features and strength and grace. 

Eventually, they tire like all mortals do and collapse once again onto the bench, bodies shaking with joyous laughter and cheeks flushed red from exhaustion. 

"That was fun," Techno giggles, still holding his sword. 

"It was. God, I've never done that before."

"Well, I'm glad I could be here for your first time."

"Wouldn't want it with anybody else." Dream leans a little into Techno's side, because even though they're both sweaty and warm and tired, Techno's presence is comforting. "Good fight, Mr. Craft."

"Excellent fight, Captain Dream." Techno stands finally, barely catching Dream from toppling over, and grabs Dream's sword. "Shall we fight again sometime?"

"I'd like that."

"And you're paying next time."

"I'm a broke college student, though!" 

"And you think I'm not?"

Dream raises his eyebrows and Techno just shakes his head. 

"You're lucky I like you, Captain Dream." Techno gives him another smile. "Now come on, I have math homework that won't do itself."

Their fingers brush together as they leave the sports complex and Dream almost grabs Techno's hand, but he doesn't. 

Because Dream is not gay for Gatsby.


	7. Platonic Study Date

Study date. 

Study date?

Platonic study date. 

It's after midnight and Dream is sitting across from Techno in the library, slowly making his way through Animal Farm, the Communist Manifesto, and an essay on how both of them relate to each other. 

He hates it. It's long, tedious busywork that makes him want to stop doing things and go to sleep. 

Techno keeps him honest. That's one problem with studying with Techno: Dream can't take breaks until mandated break time, which is once every hour, and Dream just wants to take twenty minutes to play mindless games on his phone. 

Eventually, Dream just closes Animal Farm and sets it on the table in front of him, instead choosing to observe Techno. 

He looks comfortable in this setting, the stick of a pineapple-flavored lollipop hanging from his mouth. Techno's been working on criminology stuff, Dream's not quite sure what the assignment is, but he's got a textbook on his lap and is flipping the page every few minutes. 

It's a nice sight to see, in the quiet of a library at 12:30 on a Wednesday morning. Everything from the sound of Techno's breath to the waves in his hair where the braid used to be is peaceful, calming. Techno looks handsome in this setting, he always does, and Dream wants to kiss him, he always does, and... 

Oh god. 

He wants to kiss Techno.

Oh god, oh god, oh god, he's gay for Gatsby. 

Dream's looking at Techno, and not for the first time, he wishes he could kiss him, that they could put down their work and make love against one of the bookshelves. 

How strange that it happens right now, right in the middle of the library, early on a random Wednesday morning, and Techno hasn't even done anything and now Dream's having a crisis because he wants to kiss Techno. 

When Techno glances up at him for a moment, he flashes Dream a gentle and tired smile, and Dream wants to run his hands through Techno's hair and kiss his cheeks and fall asleep next to him, curled on the tiny twin bed in his dorm room. 

"You good?" Techno asks, voice deepened from a long day of use, and all Dream can do is nod and try to will the blush away from his cheeks. 

"Fine, yeah, just tired."

It makes so much sense. It makes sense why he's wanted to taste the blue raspberry and the pineapple and even the bitter coffee on Techno's tongue, why he likes Techno's hands so much and why every touch they share sends electricity down Dream's spine. 

Dream's definitely not as straight as he thought he was, but now, with a bit of introspection, he's realizing he's wanted to kiss Techno since he first saw him in the hallway on their first day at Calloway. 

And he's wanted to kiss other people, too. Not just girls, not just Techno, but all the people he's found attractive...

Wow , he needs to research this, because there's a word for this and he doesn't know and is it really the right place to have a sexuality crisis, in the middle of the library at 12:45 in the morning in a library with the person who set off the crisis sitting right across from him? 

No. 

The answer to that question is no. 

"I think we should turn in for the night," Techno finally says, closing his textbook and computer and sliding them into his satchel. "You haven't been working for the past five minutes and look like you're going to have an aneurysm and I don't want you to die on my watch."

"Aren't you studying how to prevent that?" Dream asks, feeling very breathless. 

He's gay for Gatsby, remarkably so. 

"I only know how to clean up your body after you've died and it sounds tedious. Definitely not what I want to do," Techno jokes, gathering the rest of his things. 

Dream tries to do the same but his hands are shaking so bad that he drops his pencil twice and can barely grab his water bottle. 

"Are you okay, Dream?" Techno, now standing, walks over and puts a hand on his forehead, and when Dream looks up, Techno's hair is haloed by the overhead lights and he's beautiful and Dream's eyes are in line with his waist and oh my god, he shouldn't be thinking like this in the middle of the library. "Your face is really red."

"I... yeah, I'm..." Dream can't get the words out, not when Techno is standing above him, looking absolutely ethereal in the way only an exhausted college student can, and Dream wants to kiss him so bad he can't breathe. 

"Come on, don't get feverish on me. I'm gonna be annoyed if you throw up on me, just FYI."

"I won't throw up on you," Dream says. 

"Good. Now come on, I'll walk you back to your dorm."

"Alright."

"Get up, Dream, we don't have all night."

"You say that like you're going to sleep when you get back to your apartment."

"Guilty as charged, but I need a shower before I sleep and I prefer to do that soon."

There go Dream's thoughts. It's like the floodgates are broken, the walls have been smashed down and there's no going back, and his mind wanders to images of Techno in the shower. 

No, no, not right now. 

He's gay for Gatsby. 

Well, damn, who would've guessed?

*****************

When Dream wakes up, he starts Googling things. 

Terms, possibilities, what this means. 

He also looks back at his feelings for people in the past. 

Takes quizzes. 

Remembers having dreams about wanting to live a domestic life with one of his best guy friends when they were in third grade. 

Remembers having an obsession with BBC Sherlock and the old Star Trek episodes with Captain Kirk and nearly every character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

All the websites point to "yeah, you're not as straight as you once thought".

Dream wonders if his older sister went through this same thing, if Jordan spent hours poring over websites and offbrand Buzzfeed quizzes in order to find out if she liked the same sex. 

Jordan's always been confident in her sexuality like she's confident in everything else. She's in England, studying psychology at Oxford and living with her girlfriend, and Dream thinks that he should try to be confident with this. 

Dream finds the term "pansexual" and he thinks it fits best, because now that he thinks about it, he wants to kiss people, not girls or boys or anyone else specifically (except for Techno, he wants to kiss Techno). Maybe it's too early to put a label on it but it feels nice to have a word for the feelings. 

Speaking of "confident with their sexuality", Sapnap has bright orange press-on nails now, which he shows to Dream proudly, saying that George did them last night when Dream was at the library and they'll go great with his black skirt. He finds the article of clothing and twirls around the room, skirt flaying out like an umbrella, and he looks so happy that Dream can't help but smile. 

Dream's glad he's got Sapnap as a roommate. 

**************

The Friday after the platonic study date, Dream, Sapnap, and George find themselves at another house party. Dream dresses up a little, makes sure his shirt shows off his biceps and his shorts are tight and small. Sapnap hypes him up, wolf-whistles playfully and cheers when he gets Dream to twirl around. 

Dream loses Sap and George immediately, only half on accident, and joins the bodies on the dance floor. He shakes his ass and gives that confidence a try, hoping that his plan will work. 

Because maybe he's actually straight and feeling friendship towards Techno, and what better way to figure this out than to kiss a guy? 

And it does. While he's dancing, a body slots behind him, taut and strong, and Dream thinks he might recognize the guy as one of the football players. The guy's three inches taller than he is, taller than Techno, and he's got pretty brown eyes that glint like he's going to devour Dream. 

He leaves kisses down Dream's jaw, right there in the living room of the frat house, and Dream thinks 'Yeah, I'm definitely not straight' as they grind and sway and dance together. 

Dream feels overwhelmed when they find themselves in the backyard, the guy's body pressing his against the house. Dream's always been in the lead when he kisses someone, not the other way around, but it feels good; he likes being the one led through everything. 

"What's your name?" Dream gasps into the cool air, hands threaded through curly black hair. 

"Kendall. Yours?" Kendall has a deep voice, addicting and rumbling, deeper than Techno's, and Dream feels himself shiver at the sound. 

"Clay-" Dream whimpers out, because he can't think with Kendall's knee between his thighs, him being pushed against the wall like Kendall wants him to get stuck there. 

It's all a blur, a flurry of wandering hands and sinful tongues and grinding, and Dream is breathing hard when they both finish, warmed by Kendall's body against his and the adrenaline rushing through him. 

He's never touched a man like that. It's exciting and fun and leaves him wanting more but with a different person. 

Because the whole time, Dream was wondering how Techno would treat him in this situation. 

Techno would be gentle and rough at the same time, make the little growls that he always does and make Dream feel so, so good. 

Dream and Kendall share a last kiss before parting, and Dream has to wander back to the dorms with sticky jeans and shaky legs. They barely talked; Dream thinks the only words they spoke were their names. 

It wasn't even proper sex, but they definitely had sex and Dream liked it a lot. 

His mind is filled with Techno, Techno, Techno, Techno's mouth and hands and broad chest, and Dream hopes it's not all a useless pursuit, that he'll someday be able to touch Techno like he wants to. 

Dream's shower is still filled with images of Techno, and he grips and twists and gasps and is glad that everyone is out of their rooms because he moans Techno's name when he finishes over his hand. 

It feels dirty, it feels fantastic, and the plan worked. 

Dream is definitely not straight and he's desperately, irrevocably, deeply in love with Gatsby. 

Not Gatsby. Techno. 

He's in love with Techno.


	8. Chocolate Cake

"Sapnap?"

There's jazz music playing quietly from the Echo. Something in the back of Dream's mind reminds him that the conversation he's trying to initiate would be considered wrong when these songs were written, but he pushes it down and away.

"Hmmm?" Sapnap looks up from the book he's reading. It's "Fahrenheit 451", something Dream has never bothered with reading.

"How did you know you were bisexual?"

Sapnap sets the closed book on his extra pillow and sits up so he's facing Dream. It's a comfortable position, they've been here many times before. "Why?"

"Just... just wondering."

"I blew my best friend."

Leave it to Sapnap to be so crass and blunt. The man seems to not hide anything from anyone. "What?"

"Not even joking, man. We were on a crowded bus at night, coming home from a band competition and the two of us were deliriously tired, and then one thing led to another and I was on my knees, crushed between the seat in front of me and the seat behind me. It was a weird fuckin' experience but honestly, I don't regret it."

"Is... are you lying to me?"

Sapnap chuckles. "Sort of. I knew before that, honestly, though I never put a label on it. It took a long time to come to terms with it because I didn't really recognize that my crushes on boys were "crushes", but my obsession with Gregory Peck in sixth grade was explained as soon as I figured out what bisexuality was."

"Gregory Peck?" Dream asks, surprised and comforted by the words that just spilled from his friend's mouth.

"He plays Atticus Finch in the "To Kill a Mockingbird" movie. I heard him say a single word and fell in love."

"That's..."

"A little weird? Yeah, but every queer person has that weird little thing that they can look back on." Sapnap grins, twisting his ring around on his finger. "I'm really lucky I had super nice parents that supported me. Conservative Texas was NOT a fun place to be sometimes."

"Makes sense." Dream stares at his little watchchain plant and contemplates saying his next words before he actually does. "Is there... how'd you know, though?"

"Oh. Ummm..." Sapnap thinks for a moment. "I got a crush on one of my friends. Super straight dude, totally nice, and one day I just thought about kissing him one too many times."

Dream giggles, half out of amusement and half out of nerves. A silence falls over the room once he's done, not necessarily a tense one, but one that suggests they both know what Dream is going to say eventually.

He doesn't say it flat out. "How... how did you know it wasn't a phase?"

"I didn't, man. Then I blew my best friend and realized it wasn't."

"So you... you blew a guy and figured it out?"

"Dream, if you're questioning your sexuality, which you might not be, but if you are," Sapnap looks him right in the eye, "wanting to have sex with a guy is a pretty good indicator that you aren't straight."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Now, if you don't wanna say it flat out, I will say that I support you and love you, dude, and you can't forget that. I'm not the best one to get advice from on this, but I'm still your friend and I'm here for you. You can trust me with shit."

"Best friend."

Sapnap's eyes widen and his grin widens across his face again. "Oh, man, that means a lot."

"I know it does." Dream takes a deep breath. "Sapnap, I think I might be pansexual."

"Congratulations! Can I give you a hug, dude?" Sapnap asks, and Dream nods.

When he stands, Dream realizes his legs are shaking and there's a tear in his eyes, but Sapnap pulls him into the most comforting and crushing bear hug they've ever shared and Dream nearly cries into his shoulder with how good it feels.

"I love you, Dream," Sapnap says quietly, not breaking the energy in the room. "No homo."

Dream wheezes into his shoulder and feels immediately better. "I love you too, Sap. No homo either."

"Glad we established that."

Sapnap waits for Dream to pull away, which once again feels amazing, and when they separate Sapnap gives him a warm smile.

"I kissed a guy," Dream confesses.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Last Friday, I- his name was Kendall and we-"

"Woah, woah, did you fuck him?"

"Kind of? We just sorta kissed and... and grinded on each other."

"And you liked it?"

"And I liked it."

"I'm proud of you," Sapnap says, and Dream almost cries again. "Now come on, we're going to the store and I'm buying you a cake."

"You don't have to do that."

"Yes, I do. Now get your shoes on."

While they're getting ready for the journey, a knock sounds on the bathroom door. Dream opens it to reveal George and Wilbur.

"Where are you two going?" George asks.

"We're getting a celebration cake from the store," Sapnap says, wrapping his Calloway scarf around his neck.

"Celebrating what?"

Sapnap shoots a glance at Dream, who does the barest of headshakes, then turns back to George. "Dream did really good on an essay and it's Friday."

"Lots of things to celebrate, then. Can we come with?" Wilbur asks.

Sapnap again checks in with Dream, who nods with a grin.

"Hell yeah, let's make it a party!" Dream says, grabbing his wallet from the windowsill.

When Wilbur and George duck back into their own room to get ready, Dream turns to Sapnap again. "Thank you so much."

"This is something that goes at your own pace," Sapnap says, grabbing his keys. "And I'm still proud of you."

The walk to the store is comforting. A nip of cold hangs in the October air, turning George's cheeks pink in the wind and freezing Dream's ears off. Sapnap and George walk hand in hand like they usually do and Wilbur talks about the new song he's writing, and not for the first time, Dream's happy to have them as friends.

Sapnap leads them to the bakery section of the store and immediately finds a rainbow-sprinkled cake with vanilla frosting and "Congratulations" in loopy letters across it.

"I hate vanilla frosting."

"What about this one?" George asks. It's a little round chocolate cake with chocolate sprinkles and blue frosting reading "It's a Boy" and Dream laughs so hard that they have to get it.

While they're in line for the checkout, Dream feels a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey," Techno says with a smile.

"Hi," Dream blushes. He catches a glance of Sapnap's wide eyes but ignores him. "What are you doing?"

"Third-wheeling." Techno motions behind him and Dream sees two of Techno's friends, Alex and Karl, in front of a tortilla chip display. "Karl wouldn't stop whining that he didn't have mint gum and I wanted a pack of rootbeer, so here we are."

"Cool." Dream feels starstruck, honestly. "We needed cake."

"Oh, I'm jealous of that."

"So Techno, would you say you would like some of Dream's cake?" Wilbur asks, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Techno shoots a murderous glare at Wilbur as Dream blushes so hard he feels like he might pass out from the lack of blood everywhere else in his body.

"Wil, please don't." Techno takes a deep breath, seemingly to compose himself. "See you tomorrow?" He glances back at Dream.

"Tomorrow," Dream nods.

He watches Techno's back as he rejoins Alex and Karl and heads off to the rest of the store.

"So, have you kissed yet or not? Because Techno won't tell me anything," Wilbur says.

"What? No, we haven't kissed, I'm-" Dream would usually say 'straight' here, but that's obviously wrong. "No, we haven't."

"Damn, really? 'Cause you two were just making major heart eyes at each other and I definitely thought you'd have done something about it by now."

George pays for the cake because Dream is spluttering, Sapnap's busy gawking at Dream, and Wilbur is shaking his head in disappointment.

"Dream," Sapnap hisses, grabbing his arm as they walk out the front doors of the store. "Are you-?"

Dream nods, because he knows what Sapnap's going to say. "I'm gay for Gatsby."

"Wow, you're a simp. A simp for Techno, which we knew from the first day and you only just figured out."

"I didn't know I wasn't straight!" Dream protests.

"Oh man, you're so very gay for Gatsby."

"Yeah, I know."

"And he's gay for Mr. Carraway."

"No, he can't be."

"Dream?" Sapnap grabs both his shoulders and looks him in the eye. "He is. God, I could practically taste the tension between you two just now."

"No, no, this isn't... he thinks I'm straight, that makes no sense."

"And he's back in denial." It's the eye roll to rule all the eye rolls, and Dream doesn't get why Sap has to be so dramatic about it. "Come on, dumbass, we have a cake to eat."

Dream's not in denial.

He just knows that Techno isn't interested.

"Did kissing that guy count as cheating on Techno?" Sapnap asks as they begin their walk back to the dorms.

"No, cause we aren't dating. And we probably won't, because he doesn't like me like that."

"You keep telling yourself that and you might believe it's true." Sapnap runs up to walk with George, leaving Dream to stew in his own thoughts.

He would love if Techno liked him back, but that's obviously not gonna happen.

Oh, how he wishes it would happen.


	9. Pining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi kids! I didn't feel comfortable using Techno's real name so I made one up :)

To put it bluntly, Dream is one of the stupidest motherfuckers Techno has ever met and Techno loves him for it.

Techno saw Dream for the first time on the day they both moved in, but rather than the instance of them passing each other in the halls, Techno caught a glimpse of a pretty man talking to a pretty girl in the lobby of the dorm building and was amazed at the dimple in Dream's left cheek.

Feeling eyes on him any time he and Dream were in the same room was... strange, to say the least. Techno's had people be attracted to him before (he's been told he's handsome), but he didn't expect the minor infatuation to be reciprocated.

But it wasn't, because despite his "gaydar" or whatever, despite the fact that half the time when they're together, Dream's mouth was open and he was practically drooling, Dream said he was straight, so Techno went on the hellish journey that is too common for LGBT people and slowly fell for a straight guy.

In Techno's personal opinion, Dream's just heavily in denial about it all, but it's not his place to say.

When Dream gives him three blue raspberry lollipops, Techno has to ignore the blush on his cheeks from the knowledge that Dream pays attention, and instead gets coffee with him and talks for two hours about everything and nothing.

Dream speaks beautifully if he doesn't think too hard about it. That's one of his problems, Techno's realized: Dream thinks too much about everything, or maybe he doesn't think enough, but when they're in the coffee shop, he lets his tongue go and Techno gets to see how smart the man actually is.

Dream is beautiful all around. Dream is handsome and funny and smart and loud and nice to be around.

And Dream is straight.

When he's not platonically ogling Techno, Dream ogles the pretty girls that walk past their table at the coffee shop, talks about past girlfriends and hookups, muses about pretty celebrities and romance and Kelly.

Techno has no right to be upset with Kelly, or be jealous of her.

But he is nonetheless and it sucks.

Two weeks ago, Techno had just gotten home from the pool (he had needed to swim his stress out and obviously he didn't have a date) when Wilbur called him at 11:30 on a Friday night, asking if he had kissed Dream. 

Techno had said no.

Wilbur said that Dream was muttering about pink hair and kissing someone when he got back to the dorms.

Techno again said no, it wasn't him.

He wished at that moment for two things: for Dream to like him back and for a taco.

The taco was what he obtained.

(Actually, he obtained five tacos and fell asleep that night listening to songs about unrequited love.)

The Monday after, Techno asked if it was Kelly.

Dream nodded.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot and Techno could do nothing about it.

Now, after the study session in the library, Dream's been acting weird as hell. His face had turned bright red and Techno was worried that he was getting sick, but when Techno put a hand on his forehead, Dream looked at him with an expression so raw, so intense that Techno could barely hold onto himself.

Everything Dream does teases him.

Dream's hand sometimes rests atop Techno's when they're working on classwork, thumb moving gently across Techno's palm, and he hasn't said anything, because it's simple platonic affection that Techno can't read into.

Dream looks at Techno like there's nothing else in the world important enough to pay attention to besides him, and Techno looks at Dream the same way, but he knows they mean different things.

Dream drops everything when Techno texts to meet at the coffee shop. Dream has a weird obsession with the geese in the pond. Dream hates the smell of coffee and writes amazing essays and is great at fencing and has a dimple on his cheek and Techno might be in love with him and there's nothing he can do about it because Dream is straight.

Now, today, when Dream is going to come over to Techno's apartment and they're going to eat dinner together and work on a project for Creative Writing, Techno is having the purest form of Gay Panic that he's ever experienced.

"We should've just dyed your hair today," Wilbur says through a mouthful of peanut butter-dipped apple slices. "Your roots are brown again."

"Yeah, they do that." Techno is rushing around the kitchen, trying to make sure the pizza sauce doesn't burn. The whole apartment smells like basil and garlic and Techno is just really hoping that this won't all go to hell.

"So you're telling me this isn't a date?" The apple slice Wilbur bites into is crisp and loud. "You look stressed for this not being a date."

"It's two friends hanging out and eating dinner and working on a project. Friendly interaction."

"You wish it was a date, though," Wilbur says. "Both of you do. God, you two are oblivious."

"He's straight."

Wilbur rolls his eyes. "He fucked a guy the other day."

"Really?" Techno raises an eyebrow and glances over at his brother.

"Yep. I heard him talking to Sapnap about it. He sounded excited."

"Reminder that if he isn't straight, he still doesn't like me. We're friends, Wil, nothing more."

"Oh, dear, pining, the greatest tragedy since anteaters." Wilbur throws his head back. "If this night doesn't end in sweet, passionate love, I'll be heavily disappointed."

*************

The night doesn't end in sweet, passionate love, but nothing goes to hell so Techno counts it as a definite win.

Dream's in a loose white shirt with the top two buttons undone and Techno thinks he looks beautiful in the low light of his apartment.

They drink rootbeer and eat pesto chicken pizza and work on writing their short stories. Dream lays on the floor on his stomach with his computer in front of him while Techno takes the couch.

The assignment is simple: make a fun story, don't focus too hard on it, don't spend hours making sure it's perfect, write something good and messy and nice to read. Techno works on a piece about a modern-day Romeo and Juliet but it's a queer romance between two girls and they aren't completely stupid.

"What's your piece?" Techno eventually asks Dream.

"America's first canine president. She's a Corgi named Barry and her first decree was to ban all the homophobes from Congress." Dream's fingers move quickly across his keyboard, producing line after line on the Doc he's working on. "You?"

"Modern Sapphic Romeo and Juliet."

"I hate Romeo and Juliet. Like it's a good play but it's a shit love story." Dream rolls over onto his back, takes his hands off the keyboard, and looks up at Techno. "Hope you're doing a good job."

"I think I am." The brunette in love with the blonde, but this blonde loves her back. "I'm basing it on real feelings."

"What feelings?"

"Love. Attraction. Not being stupid."

"You've been in love before?"

"Yes, I think so." In love with you, in love with every little beautiful part of you. "Not sure."

"What's it like? Cause I think I've been too but I don't know what it's supposed to feel like."

"You are the plant and they are the sun. You are the river and they are the riverbed, you are the soil and they are the rose, you are the hawk and they are the air under your wings. You fly, you sing, you love." Techno is simply reading one of his paragraphs in his story but it works perfectly.

"And when you touch, it's electric?"

"It crackles in you like Pop Rocks in your blood," Techno says, making Dream giggle. "The person warms you up and makes you feel safe and comfortable and happy."

"I think I've been in love, then," Dream says, almost breathless, and they share a moment of silence as they hold each other's gazes, and never has Techno wanted more to kiss Dream into the next decade because he cares about the man so much.

"Could you tell me who?"

"If you can."

"Then we will both be silent." Dream holds Techno's eyes, and some kind of tension hangs in the air, and Techno wants to spill out every thought that he's had about Dream, about how Dream is a beautiful rose and the strongest river and the corniest joke in a standup set and Techno loves him for it all, and yet he doesn't.

Because Dream will never love him back.

Instead, Techno says something he wasn't expecting.

"Simon."

"What?"

"Simon. Simon Elliot Craft."

"I thought that was third-date information."

"This is like our eighteenth date," Techno smiles. His hand is shaking.

"You're late, then. And I thought this wasn't a date."

"If you don't want it to be."

"What if I did want it to be?"

Dream is the only man who can make Techno blush, but he quickly calms himself. "We would kiss if this was a date."

"I know we would." Dream lets out a sigh and Techno's not quite sure what it means. "When is this assignment due?"

And with that, the conversation is dropped, leaving Techno to wonder what Dream meant by that.

Dream doesn't leave for nearly two hours more, but there is no more of that tension, no more flirty jokes or 'what ifs' in their conversation. They write in silence, listen to jazz music because that's the playlist Techno decided on, occasionally make quips about words or ideas.

"There's a party tomorrow," Dream says as he gathers his things. It's after midnight. "You should come."

"I don't think I should. They're not really my thing."

"I'll be looking for you." Dream glances up for half a second, then looks back down to slide his computer into his bag. "Just for the experience. They're very fun."

"Well, if you'll be looking for me."

"I will."

"Then maybe I'll try it out."

Dream stands, walks to the door. Techno follows him but nearly bumps into him when Dream stops and turns around.

"Your name is beautiful," Dream whispers, breath sending tingles down Techno's body, and after a pause, Dream presses a gentle kiss to Techno's cheek. "Beloved."

They haven't spoken the word since it was uttered while they were sword-fighting. Techno feels like he's flying as he clasps hands with Dream and whispers, "Beloved."

Dream leaves without another word, leaving Techno to slump against the closed door and wonder if Dream does return some of the feelings.

Beloved.

His beloved Dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would y'all want a smut chapter for this book? Wouldn't be needed to understand the plot, just thought it might be fun to write. I've written smut before (check out my Dreamnap works if you want a vibe), just up to you guys!


	10. Melon Chapstick

It's a remarkably boring party, or maybe Dream isn't letting himself get lost in the atmosphere, because he just really wants to find Techno. 

The beer is shit, cheap stuff that makes him dizzy and anxious, and Dream wonders if it was such a good idea to come here, on the off-chance that Techno does actually show up to the party. 

But then he finds him, sitting in the backyard in a cracked green lawn chair, nursing a wine cooler and staring up at the stars. 

"Hey," Dream says as he sits down across from Techno. 

"Hi." 

"Nice night."

"Bad pickup line."

"Not a pickup line." Dream leans back in his chair, sees Orion and Cassiopeia amongst the freckles of the night sky, and takes a deep breath. "Would you rather have a better one?"

"I'm not looking for a hookup, Dream. Go find a little blonde Kappa girl, I'm sure there's a million of them at this party who want to fuck you." Techno frowns like he's upset that it's true. "I should get going, actually. It's not a fun party and you're obviously looking for meaningless sex."

"What? No." Dream's inhibitions have been lowered by the alcohol and how pretty Techno looks tonight, features lit by the moonlight and the warm yellow light from the frat house behind them. "That's not what I'm here for."

"Then what are you here for?" Techno doesn't look over. 

"Meaningful sex?" Dream tries. He's surprised he's even bringing it up, knows he'll be disappointed with himself in the morning for confessing what he wants to do with Techno while they're both drunk and stupid and at an awful house party, but he wants this, wants it bad. 

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't want a... a one-night stand. I want... I want you."

"You're drunk, Dream, we both are."

"Sober me is too much of a coward to say it. I want to kiss you, Techno, have for a while."

Techno sighs, takes another glance at the stars before looking to Dream again. His sharp blue eyes are wide and open, alert, beautiful. A silence falls over them for a moment as Techno looks him over, and Dream tries to look as sincere as he is. 

"We shouldn't," Techno finally says. 

"I want to."

"You're drunk."

"I want this sober, Techno. Not for the sex, but because... because it's you."

"Dream-"

"I'm serious." And he is, he so very much is. 

"I won't kiss you tonight," Techno says. 

"Oh."

"I won't kiss you tonight, but if you're serious about that, if you really want to kiss me and not have that quick, temporary pleasure of something fast, then you can come to my apartment tomorrow afternoon and prove to me that this isn't something meaningless."

"It's not, I swear it's not."

"Please do not make a fool out of me, Dream." Techno stands, leaving the wine cooler on the arm of the chair. 

"I won't. I want to kiss you, Techno, I'm serious about that, and I won't make a fool out of you."

"Then I will see you tomorrow." Techno places a hand on Dream's shoulder for a moment and it sends those crackling feelings through his body. "Do not make me a fool."

"I won't." Dream feels breathless and excited. "Tomorrow."

Techno simply nods and turns to leave. Dream watches him go, then turns and runs into the house, looking for Sapnap. 

He finds him in the kitchen, talking to a pretty brunette girl and sipping a Coca Cola. "Sap, Techno said he would kiss me!"

"He- did he not actually kiss you?" Sapnap nods farewell to the girl and moves to the kitchen island. 

Dream hops onto it, practically buzzing with excitement. "Nope! Tomorrow afternoon, I'm gonna go to his apartment and confess my love and kiss him!"

"Dream, are you- dude, you need to sleep."

"Yes! I'm going home and I'm going to write a whole confession because I love him and then I'm going to go to sleep!"

"Yeah, we're definitely going home. Come on, dude, get up, I'll come back with you."

It's a good thing that Sapnap's there because Dream nearly crashes into the goose pond when they pass, but it all works out fine. They get back to the dorm without any other incidents and after a shower, Dream is deposited happily in his bed, thinking of how the hell he's going to not screw it up in the morning. 

******************

Sapnap is still asleep when Dream wakes up (rightfully so, it's just after 7:00), but Dream still drags out his computer and starts typing. 

He writes and deletes and writes and deletes and writes and deletes. He looks up quotes, listens to love songs, but can't find anything that really encapsulates all that he feels for Techno. 

"You have the loudest freaking keyboard in the world," Sapnap groans nearly an hour into Dream's work. 

"Sorry, I just want to get this right."

"I know you do." Sapnap climbs out of bed and grabs a loose hoodie on his desk, but not before Dream notices a dark mark on his shoulder. 

"Is that a hickey?" 

"Shut up, man, just think about your own love life." Sapnap drags the hoodie on, slides on a pair of sandals, and grabs his phone from its charger. "I've got to meet George for breakfast."

"Okay, have fun." Dream stares at a website full of romantic quotes, none of them catching his eye. 

"Eat something."

"I will, Mom."

"Good." Sapnap ruffles Dream's hair before leaving, keys jangling in his pocket. 

When Dream finally gives up on figuring out what to write, he grabs a muffin from the package Sapnap bought a week ago and heads down to the track. 

He runs four miles in all, earbuds blasting songs about requited, happy love. 

The shower after is great, hot and steaming and full of images of what might happen when he goes to Techno's apartment. Dream bucks into his hand, wonders how Techno will treat him, if he'll be rough or gentle, if he'll leave trails of dark marks along Dream's chest and claim him as his own. 

At 2:16, Dream finds himself in front of the door to Techno's apartment, hair blow-dried and fluffy, mint green shirt partially unbuttoned and a rose from the campus gardens in his hand. 

"I didn't expect you to show up," Techno says when he opens the door. He looks just as put together as usual.

"Can I come in?" Dream asks. 

Techno takes the rose from his hand, brushes their fingers together for a moment. "Prove to me why I should."

Dream takes a deep breath, thinks about what he's going to say, then starts. "Two months ago, on my first day at Calloway, I walked past you in the hallway and you looked like you were going to kill someone. I hadn't even spoken to you yet and I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Then I met you in class, this guy with a photographic memory and crazy good writing skills and a deadpan sense of humor and I... well, I think you're kind of addicting, Techno, in the way good feelings are. I wanted to know more about you, unlock every little secret about you, and you were... you let me. I know it sounds weird, but I love the way you growl when you're annoyed with stuff, and I love the fact that your tongue turns blue when you eat those lollipops you always do, and I love the braid Wilbur does in your hair, and I love the way you write and how you laugh and how you grab my hand when you want to say something."

"Dream?" Techno cuts him off.

"Yes?" Dream's eyes widen.

"You talk too much sometimes." And Techno grabs him by the collar, drags him into the apartment, pushes him against the door, and kisses him.

Dream's head knocks against the door but he doesn't pay attention to it.

Techno's chapstick tastes like melons. And his hands are strong and possessive, one on Dream's waist and one on his jaw.

"This is not a one-time thing," Techno says, pulling back and looking Dream in the eye. Dream loves the gaze, the solidity, the warmth, the flip in his stomach that it causes.

"Techno, I want to kiss you until the end of time."

"And I want to ruin you." It comes out as a growl that flushes heat through Dream's body.

Techno's strong. Dream already knew that, but he's pressing Dream into the door as they kiss, a hand bracing his hip, Techno's chest pushed against his, and a thigh between his legs. The two inches of height Techno has on him are doing wonders with holding him here. Dream can tell he can't move even if he wanted to.

He doesn't want to.

It's amazing. It's the best kiss he's ever had by far, better than the hookups, better than past girlfriends. Techno's tongue is bold and hungry and Dream tries hard to give as much as he's getting, but mostly he just has to be pulled along by the current and pray he won't do anything stupid. Techno's teeth pull his bottom lip and Dream whines, wonders why he didn't do this any sooner. 

When Techno rolls his knee experimentally, Dream lets out a groan into his mouth and Techno's lips crook up into a smile. It's dizzying to feel the muscles twitch against his own lips and Dream feels drunk on the melon chapstick.

"You know, I almost said yes last night," Techno mumbles between deep kisses to Dream's mouth. "But I didn't want... even though it was you, I didn't want... I like you, Dream, way too much, and this isn't... I want to kiss you to the end of time as well."

"I like you, too," Dream gasps, feeling so breathless, so overwhelmed in the best way possible, and holy shit is Techno good at this. "Have I made a fool of you?"

"You could never make a fool of me," Techno whispers, and it sends tremors of pleasure through Dream's body before Techno captures his mouth again and everything goes white-hot.


	11. Always You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SMUT
> 
> PORN
> 
> EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT
> 
> READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
> 
> NOT NECESSARY FOR THE PLOT
> 
> DON'T NEED TO READ TO UNDERSTAND THE STORY
> 
> THANK YOU

Being teased by Wilbur after he kicked him out of his apartment because "you're getting laid, Techno, hell yeah!" is totally worth it with how good kissing Dream is. 

Techno almost didn't expect Dream to show up. Sure, he was freaking out for the rest of the night after they'd talked and for all of the morning, but there was still the chance that had been drunk and horny and half out of his mind from the bad alcohol, and then Dream actually did show up and confess his infatuation and now Techno has him pressed against a wall and is kissing the life out of him. 

It's almost too good to be true, but the breathy sounds that Dream makes when Techno sucks on his tongue are too good for Techno to have manifested by himself. 

"Techno, please~" Dream groans as Techno drops his head to mouth along Dream's jaw, nips along his throat, leaves pink spots of irritated skin, claiming, biting, loving. 

"Please what?" Techno hums against his throat. 

Dream whines when he bites a particular spot, just below his ear, and Techno soothes the bite with a gentle swipe of his tongue. It earns him another groan and a forward rock of Dream's hips into his leg, which shouldn't feel as good as it does. 

"Please ruin me," Dream gasps, catching Techno's lips in another searing kiss. 

Dream is entirely plaint under Techno's hand. It's a fascinating feeling, one Techno has only let himself indulge in once before (high school boyfriend, yadda yadda), but he loves it, gets addicted to it as Dream melts under his touch. 

Techno's hands are practically holding Dream up by this point, one bracing his hip against the door and the other pressing Dream's shoulder against the wood, and Dream just lets him. 

"Beautiful," Techno says between deep, sinful kisses. Dream chases his mouth every time their lips gather space between them, but Techno immediately indulges him each time, dives back in for another taste. "So good for me, Dream, so good."

Dream whines at the praise, makes Techno this a simple 'interesting' before continuing his words. 

"Such a tease though, always watching me with those big green eyes of yours, and I could never taste, never touch, never take what was mine." The words taper off into a growl as Techno presses harder still, nearly embedding Dream into the wall, and Dream just scrambles to grab a hold of the back of Techno's shirt with his hands.

"Didn't know I wanted you!" Dream whispers as he buries his head in the crook of Techno's neck, panting between kisses to the sensitive skin at the corner of Techno's jaw. "Couldn't tell why I was obsessed, why I wanted to watch you all the time..."

"Yeah, kinda creepy with all your staring," Techno murmurs, and the joke breaks them out of their frantic movements for a moment when Dream lets out a chuckle.

"I don't know about you but I'm thinking all of that paid off," Dream says, lips brushing Techno's jaw. It buzzes through his bones, down his spine, makes him shiver. 

"Oh, yes, very much paid off." And Techno kisses him again, because there are the dregs of a breath mint on Dream's tongue and his hands drag at Techno's shirt and he's been waiting for it for so long (two months, but still!) and Dream knows what he's doing and it feels so, so, so good. 

Dream switches it up, pushes against Techno, and then they're stumbling backward, barely missing the couch and the kitchen wall and the rug, lips locked in a flurry of tongues and moans. They pause for a moment at the threshold of the bedroom, Techno's arm bracing them against the doorframe, Dream leaning and grabbing and holding and holy shit, Techno has never felt this good in his life. 

Everything tapers out as they fall onto the bed (Techno in his rightful position on top), and it turns into gentle, long kisses, hands exploring each other's bodies. Techno sucks a dark mark just above Dream's collarbone, draws out more of the breathy groans, makes Dream's hips buck up against his as he runs his hands under the loose button-up Dream has on (beautiful, by the way). 

"You do things to me, Techno," Dream gasps out as Techno brushes over a sensitive spot on his ribs, ghosts over the smooth skin with his fingertips. 

"Good things?" Techno asks against his mouth. 

"So good. God, fuck, so good," Dream replies, and Techno can tell by the flushed pink color of his cheeks and the shaking of his thighs that he's doing the right things to get Dream worked up, wanting, begging. 

"Good." Techno's hands drift to the buttons of Dream's shirt. "Can I take this off?"

"As long as you get yours off, too."

Both shirts are discarded, thrown somewhere on the floor, neither of them cares where, and Techno appreciates the sight below him for a moment. Dream, pinned down by Techno's body, face red and pupils blown so wide that his eyes are almost fully black, chest heaving, blond trail of hair traveling down his abs and disappearing under the waistband of his jeans. 

"You're beautiful," Dream whispers, and it makes Techno blush enough that he has to kiss him again, make sure Dream doesn't see how wrecked Techno is by this point, but he's sure Dream can feel it in the pounding of his heart and the heat rolling off him. 

"The Ancient Greeks would worship the ground you walk on," Techno replies, and Dream covers his face with his hands and groans into his palms. 

"You can't say stuff like that!" He protests, peeking out from behind his fingers. 

"What?" Techno leans forward and slowly presses kisses against each knuckle of both hands, then grabs Dream's wrists and gently pulls them back from his face, once again revealing the pretty face he loves so. "The truth?"

"Are you trying to kill me?" Dream asks.

Techno grins. "I would never kill my beloved."

Dream makes a happy noise when their lips meet, then a moan as Techno drops his hand and grinds his palm against the hardness in Dream's jeans. 

Getting one's pants off while sitting between someone's legs without hitting them is not an easy task, but Techno achieves it, then discards Dream's jeans as well until they're both in their undergarments, arousal no longer hidden by tight layers of clothing. 

"How far are we going here?" Techno asks once they're situated back in their original positions. He's practically laying on top of Dream and he can feel the solid weight of Dream's cock against his hip, but it's comfortable and intimate and breathtaking to see Dream in such a vulnerable state. 

"As far as you want."

Techno shakes his head. "Not how it works here, we're in a democracy. How far are we going?"

"I'm not... I don't know," Dream says quietly. "I've never done anything like this before."

"Yeah, I know, I didn't even know you were gay till we kissed ten minutes ago." Techno kisses up his jaw, lets his hands wander along the smooth muscle of Dream's thighs, dances his fingers along the waistband of Dream's boxers. 

"Pan. I'm pan." Dream blushes again. 

"And I am gay," Techno says, though it's been a known fact since their first speaking interaction. He's never hidden it, always been honest. 

"Yeah, I know," Dream giggles, and it's the most beautiful sound Techno's ever heard. "Can we, um, actually, can we kiss for a while?"

Techno indulges him (of course he does, he wants to spoil Dream for the rest of their damn lives). Dream likes the nips to his lip and having Techno suck on his tongue (does wonders to his oral fixation by the way), and Techno likes how well-versed Dream's tongue is as it explores every corner of Techno's mouth. 

He also likes when Dream grinds his hips up, rubs their crotches together, makes Techno moan into his mouth and grip his hair just a fraction tighter. 

"Techno?" Dream asks after a long time of desperate touches, exploration, loving, discovering. 

"Hmmm?" 

"I want you to..."

"Want me to what?"

"Want you to... want you to fuck me."

"Are you sure?" Techno asks, leaning back a little.

Dream frowns at the loss of mouth contact. "As sure as I can be. I want it to be you... I think it's always been you, even before we knew each other."

"We've only known each other three months, Dream."

"And yet... Techno, you make me feel like no one else ever has, and I know I am young and stupid but I- it is you, it will always be you."

Techno kisses him, long and hard, and Dream's fingers tangle with the pink locks of Techno's hair, and it's a beautiful moment, one that feels like it could be written in the history books. 

"Beloved," Techno whispers. "I will devote myself to you if you will let me, I will love you if you let me, I will stay by your side till the end of time if you'll let me." 

Dream shivers, a whole body shake that leaves Techno breathless and amazed. 

"Please, Techno," Dream asks again, and Techno obliges, grabs the tube and a condom from the nightstand and slowly, carefully slicks his fingers and rubs them together to warm the lube up. 

"This is... it's going to feel strange," Techno warns. 

"I can take it," Dream promises. He slid off his boxers while Techno was getting the lube, cock now standing tall and proud and making Techno's mouth water. 

Techno wonders if Dream would like Techno's mouth around him, but that's for another day, another time. 

"Do you know the color system?"

"Stoplights, right?"

"Yes. Now, if you feel uncomfortable or need to stop, you tell me immediately, okay?"

"Yes," Dream responds. 

Techno kisses him as he pushes his index finger in, carefully stretching and rubbing. Dream grips Techno's shoulder tightly and something in Techno's mind rejoices over the idea that there might be bruises in the morning, claiming spots littered across his bicep. 

Dream begins rocking back on the finger and Techno adds another, distracting Dream with his tongue and other hand. It's a slow process, making sure Dream is properly ready for everything, but Dream moans against Techno's mouth and it's all worth it. 

They make love slowly at first. Techno knows he'll be damned if he ever hurt Dream, and Dream is more than happy to draw it out for as long as possible. 

Eventually, Dream begs for more, faster, rougher, and Techno complies, sets a pace that exhausts both of them and brings them to their peaks at the same time. Techno murmurs praise between thrusts, whispers how beautiful Dream looks, promises things he'll fight hard to keep, and Dream gives just as much as he gets, plays into it all, moans Techno's name, cries how good it all feels. 

Dream finishes with Techno's name on his tongue and Techno's hand on his cock, and the sight of Dream's blissed-out expression is enough to push Techno over the edge, rock his hips forward a final time and gasp some declaration of love into the heated air. 

"Thank you," Techno whispers into the quiet of the bedroom after they've calmed down, after the waves have slowed and they've got time to catch their breath. 

"For what?" Dream asks, curling into Techno's side, leaving gentle kisses along his skin. 

"For not making a fool of me." Techno kisses his temple, wraps his arms around Dream's waist and pulls him closer still. 

"I wouldn't dare," Dream replies, and they share another long, slow kiss. "Beloved."

"Beloved," Techno repeats before drifting off into a peaceful sleep, snuggled next to Dream as lovers.


	12. Fools Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> back to our regularly scheduled programming

Dream's already got an awful sleep schedule, but crashing at 6:00 and waking up at 1:54 in the morning is a new low.

He's never felt this kind of soreness in his lower back, but it's a good kind of sore, because he knows it's from good feelings and the best sex of his life.

Dream seems to have fallen asleep atop Techno, snuggled into the latter's warm, bare chest like it was his pillow, but he's not complaining about it. Techno's heartbeat and breathing are slow and steady in his ear, gentle wind blowing across his cheek and the quiet thump, thump, thump against his cheekbone almost enough to put him back to sleep.

Techno, however, stirs and holds Dream closer, arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders. "What time is it?" He murmurs, voice rough.

A swallow indicates Dream's throat is wrecked before he even speaks, but he doesn't stop. "1:56."

"And I was trying to fix my sleep schedule."

Dream smiles and closes his eyes once more. "Same here."

"College students have the worst sleep patterns, I suppose."

"So it seems."

Techno's chest rises and falls in a deep breath, shifting Dream's head along with it, and his hand comes to slowly run through Dream's hair. Dream sighs into the feeling, pushing his head up the tiniest bit.

"What does this make us?" Dream asks after a moment of silence.

"You already promised it wasn't a one-time thing before you said you liked me," Techno points out.

"What if I was lying to just get in your pants?"

"Then you have made a fool of me, just as I suspected you would."

"You talk cleaner when you're sleepy," Dream muses, clutching the sheets beside Techno for a moment before letting them go. "And I would be damned if I made a fool of you."

"Good." Techno takes another deep breath. "I apologize for not asking if it was okay to kiss you."

"You asked plenty of times after," Dream says with a grin.

Techno had been... respectful to him. It was nice, refreshingly so, to be checked in on from time to time, making sure they were both still having a good time. It was his first time, in a way, and Techno took fantastic care of him. 

"I did." Techno's hand stops for a moment, threaded tightly into Dream's hair. "I didn't make you uncomfortable?"

"I was just scared you were going to close the door in my face."

"I wouldn't have done that. Maybe to others but never to you."

"Does that mean we're dating, then? If you wouldn't slam a door in my face?"

"You know, this is usually spoken about before a pair has sex."

"Well, this isn't usual, then. Techno, will you be my boyfriend?"

"Yes, Dream, I will be your boyfriend."

There's a little scar by Techno's eye that Dream's been wanting to kiss and he does, just scooches up and presses his lips against Techno's skin. Techno grabs his chin and gently pulls their mouths together, and Dream's lips are sore and tender but it feels great and Techno seems to really like kissing him.

"Are you just kissing me to deal with your oral fixation?" Dream murmurs.

"Yes, you've discovered my plot. It's not the fact that I might be in love with you, it's the fact that I wasn't properly cared for as a child and now need to suck on your tongue to stay sane."

"You're in love with me?" Dream asks, wind knocked from his chest.

"Oh, I... that was much too fast. I'm sorry if you- I apologize."

"No, no, don't say sorry! I think I might be in love with you, too." Dream has to kiss him again, let his tongue invade Techno's mouth and let his hands grip Techno's hair, and Techno's hands are holding tight to his waist and it feels so immensely fantastic that Dream never wants to leave this bed, just wants to kiss Techno for the rest of eternity.

Kissing leads to more touching, sweet caresses across bare chests and goose-bumped arms, Techno's fingers ghosting across the bruises they made last night, and it has Dream gasping again within minutes. Techno makes him feel good, takes care of him, makes sure he's gentler the second time because they're sleepy but addicted to each other.

They shower together after, pressed tight against each other in Techno's little bathroom, but Dream doesn't want to be anywhere else than rubbing soap across Techno's chest and watching the water carry the suds away. Techno leaves kisses against the marks he left on Dream, all low enough that a hoodie will cover them, and Dream whines until Techno's mouth is connected to his again.

"Sleep?" Techno asks as he pats Dream dry with a rough white towel.

"This is gonna be a weird request, but can we... I don't know, I just like being next to you. Can we stay up?"

"I can put on a movie and we can sit in the living room?"

Dream nods.

They end up with some random film playing on Techno's TV and Dream laying on his stomach between Techno's legs, head on his chest. Techno braids Dream's hair and unbraids it over and over and it does eventually lull Dream to sleep.

*****************

It sucks to leave in the morning.

Dream can't help to kiss Techno for as long as possible until finally, Techno has to push him out the door, promising that they'll see each other in not too long, that Dream really needs a fresh change of clothes and a tooth-brushing session. 

Dream's surprised to open the door to his dorm and find Sapnap and George asleep on the floor, limbs tangled together and with a half-finished puzzle next to them. They're thankfully fully-clothed and there's not too much of a mess on the carpet. 

"Morning," Sapnap grumbles as he sits up, rubbing his eyes. George looks ruffled and pops his back as he sits up. "How did it go?"

"Fantastic." Dream feels refreshed and sore and good, so so good. "I have a boyfriend now."

"Fucking finally," George says, kissing Sapnap's cheek before standing up. 

"And you do as well?"

"What? Yeah, we've- did we not tell you?" Sapnap is just as ruffled as George. "We've- it was the first week of class, I think, yeah."

"You failed to inform me, yes," Dream says, plugging his phone in on its charger. He failed to do anything with it last night (he was busy!) and it's dead. "So all those times you guys were cuddling?"

"God, you're so oblivious. Character flaw alert." Sapnap presses another lazy kiss to George's cheek. 

George suddenly giggles. "Wilbur's gonna be the fifth wheel."

"Does he have any..."

"He's got someone at home, yeah. He's the most loyal bitch I've ever seen, won't even flirt back at people. It's fascinating to watch." George pulls on a black hoodie that definitely belongs to Sapnap, then turns to Dream. "How was bottoming for the first time?"

"What?" Dream snaps around to glare at George. "Why would you assume that?"

"Because you have the energy and didn't immediately deny it!" George protests. "Come on, I could probably back you against a wall and you would be pliant."

"We are NOT trying that but I disagree."

"You're not gonna be able to do that to Dream," Sapnap says. "Not scary enough."

"I'm scary!"

"You're a twink, babe."

"Whatever." George rolls his eyes and grabs a muffin from the box. "Congratulations on figuring it all out, Dream, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks. I'm kinda proud of me too."

****************

Techno's hand is very nice to hold. 

They're sitting on the bench next to the goose pond, watching the geese float around the water and exchanging stories. It's crisp and cool out because it's November, but Dream feels warm. 

"I was so jealous of Kelly," Techno muses, squeezing Dream's hand tight. 

Techno holds Dream like he never wants to let go. Dream never wants him to let go. 

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," Dream replies, tracing his free hand over Techno's thigh, drawing hearts and circles and letters that will eventually spell out a love poem. "Couldn't deal with the fact that I wanted to kiss you so I kissed a girl instead."

"I feel accomplished that I was the one to make you question your sexuality."

"You're really attractive, don't be surprised."

"Really?"

"Yeah, yeah, remarkably hot. I took one look at your face and fell in love with those pretty eyes of yours."

"Simp."

"Says the one who was singing 'Girl Crush'."

"At least I wasn't so deep in denial that I was called 'beloved' and didn't realize it was flirting."

"I realized!" 

"Dream, we had a homoerotic sword-fight scene and you didn't notice."

"No, no, I did, I was so far in denial that I thought I wanted to be pushed against the wall platonically."

Techno snorts. "Gods, I love you."

"I love you, too." Dream leans into Techno's side. "You know, on my first day here, I looked at these geese and decided I would become a campus goose."

"You're not evil enough to be a goose."

"No, no, I... I wanted to be comfortable here, and happy, and I wanted to dance with somebody like the geese dance with each other."

"I don't know how to dance."

"Not even waltz?"

"Well, I could... I suppose I could learn a waltz step. For you." Techno smiles. "So are you a goose?"

"I am a goose. A campus goose, happy as can be."

"My own little goose," Techno hums. "Personal goose, though not one to eat for Thanksgiving dinner."

"Your goose," Dream grins.

"My goose," Techno repeats, leaning over and kissing Dream. 

Techno's mouth still tastes like melon chapstick, and his hand is warm and heavy against Dream's, and Dream's in love with this man. 

He's in love with Techno and he's not afraid to admit that anymore. 

And Techno loves him back. 

What a nice day to be a campus goose.


	13. Epilogue

_My lover once described romance as Pop Rocks crackling in your blood, yet I believe I've proved him wrong. Maybe the early love was Pop Rocks, but now, after five years of companionship, our love is sweet honey in my veins._

_What I mean to say is that rather than the sharp, fresh popping we once felt, I now feel at home in his arms and safe in his presence. Some might say that the spark is gone now, and I agree, but that's not really the point anymore. I love him more than anything I ever have, maybe so desperately sometimes that it isn't good for either of us, but that's what love is._

_I worship and breathe and love the perpetuity of "us", of waking up next to my lover in the morning and falling asleep next to him every night. Love for us means cooking breakfast together and watching movies with our cats spread across our laps. Love looks like backrubs and painted nails and the act of existing together. We are not one, but rather two people who have found their equal, their favorite person, and I could never trade that for anything else._

_-Excerpt from "Gay for Gatsby: A Memoir" by Clay Talenti_

_*******************************_

_Juliet swore that the sun would be shining this afternoon, but the clouds are out and rain is sprinkling down on the world. Romeo has her umbrella, though, and so they sit beneath the yellow fabric and stare out at the dampened world._

_"At least the bench is dry," Juliet says, intertwining her fingers with Romeo's._

_"It's under a tree, of course it is." Romeo glances to her side, at the pretty blonde curls of her companion's hair, and wonders if a Sun god had blessed Juliet to have such a beautiful color on her head._

_"Why do you look at me like that?" Juliet asks._

_"Like what?" Asks Romeo._

_"Like I'm the world."_

_"Because you are, Juliet. You are my world."_

_Juliet smiles her beautiful smile, and Romeo wonders if she'll be able to see that smile for the rest of their lives._

_Juliet's smiles are her favorite thing to watch. ___

__-Expert from "Romeo and Juliet: A Modern Retelling" by T.S.B. Craft._ _

__************************_ _

__"Lover, dearest, beloved, those are all awful ideas," Tommy says from across the living room. Drista nods along with him. "Just call him 'man'."_ _

__"Aw yes, the most romantic pet name: 'man'," Techno agrees sarcastically. "Hey, man, I am deeply, desperately in love with you."_ _

__"And I return the same feelings, man," Dream says, putting on his most boring, platonic-sounding voice he can. He drops it immediately after. "That's how Sapnap flirts with George, Tommy."_ _

__"They're married! He's taken my advice and done it all correctly."_ _

__"How's your own love life going, Tommy?" Wilbur asks casually._ _

__"As good as it can be! When I am old enough, Phil is going to find me eighteen wives and I will be surrounded by women!" Tommy says, throwing his arms in the air and knocking his phone off the couch. Drista snorts as he dives to retrieve it._ _

__"I will not be finding you eighteen wives," Phil says. "That's not my job."_ _

__"Careful, Tomathy, Phil and Kristin might have to un-adopt you," Schlatt quips, earning him a smack to the back of the head from Wilbur._ _

__"You're one to talk about romance, you're just here to accompany my brother while his girlfriend isn't here," Tommy shoots back._ _

__"Boys! Stop!" Sharla shoots them both a death glare and all of them immediately quiet. "And I thought my own kids were a handful!"_ _

__"We're not a handful!" Drista protests, but Dream just nods to agree with his mom._ _

__"I'm a handful!" Tommy says proudly._ _

__"Baby," Techno murmurs into Dream's ear suddenly. Dream grabs his hand in acknowledgment. "Can we head out to the yard?"_ _

__Dream nods and looks back to the table. "Techno and I are gonna head out to the yard for a few minutes."_ _

__"Keep it PG, please, we don't want to see any of your kissings," Tommy mutters, earning him a glare from Phil, Kristin, and Sharla._ _

__Techno leads them through the large rented house and to the backyard, into the warm spring evening and to a rickety porch swing on the deck. They sit down next to each other, Dream curling into Techno's side and breathing in the flowery scent of their detergent._ _

__"So, will we be doing any of those 'kissings' Tommy was talking about?" Dream asks after a moment of staring up at the stars._ _

__Techno turns his head and presses his lips against Dream's, and it's the first moment of proper affection in almost 8 hours (Tommy and Drista are the self-proclaimed "PDA police") and feels so good that Dream melts into it._ _

__"We have the same younger siblings in different fonts," Techno muses when they pull apart._ _

__"And a very chaotic family." Dream sighs and leans his head on Techno's shoulder. "Good that they've met now, though."_ _

__After five years together, Dream had finally convinced his lover to invite their immediate families to vacation in southern California, complete with a giant Airbnb and trips to all the theme parks in the area. Now, he's kind of regretting it, because it's the first night and he's already exhausted._ _

__"Yes, very good. A good celebration for your book's success."_ _

__"All I want to do is fall asleep," Dream yawns._ _

__"I'm proud of you, beloved," Techno says, grabbing Dream's hand._ _

__"Shut up, Mr. Pulitzer."_ _

__"Techno Craft, Pulitzer Prize winner, and Dream Talenti, a better author than JK Rowling. We truly are a power couple."_ _

__Dream giggles, then sticks his free hand into Techno's pocket like he always does when his fingers are cold and immediately freezes, feeling something that is suspiciously velvety and solid._ _

__"Oh, that was supposed to be a surprise," Techno murmurs, carefully removing Dream's hand from the pocket, tiny box clasped in his palm. "I was looking for the right time."_ _

__It's not a complete surprise. They've talked about it before, who would get the ring, if Dream would wear a dress (he totally would), if the whole concept of a wedding would just be bending back into straight ideals and the toxic gender roles that continue to perpetuate society, but they both agreed that civil partnership would be nice, just to be able to say "my husband" on legal documents._ _

__It's a surprise, though, because Dream had no idea it was going to happen now._ _

__"I hope this is okay," Techno says, and Dream laughs._ _

__"Way more than okay. Yes, my answer is yes."_ _

__"You haven't even looked at the ring yet and I had a whole speech planned."_ _

__Dream feels almost hysterical with joy as he carefully opens the little white velvet box, revealing two rings, one with a green gem surrounded by pink gems and the other a pink gem surrounded by green ones._ _

__"I wanted for us to be matching, because it's our engagement to each other, not just a one-sided thing with a single ring."_ _

__Dream turns to his lover with a huge grin on his face. "I love you so goddamn much."_ _

__"So you stated in your memoir," Techno smiles._ _

__Dream kisses him, tries hard not to drop the ring box as he almost tackles Techno._ _

__"Well, get on with your speech," Dream teases._ _

__"You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known- and even that is an understatement." Dream rolls his eyes at the Gatsby quote. "I love you with all of my being, every fiber of my existence. You are the best man I've ever known, the one I've trusted the most, and I would die for you and kill for you and will worship you forever. We are already practically wed, with two little feline children and a big house and good jobs we enjoy, but I'd like to make it official, so, Clay Talenti, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?"_ _

__"I'm going to start calling you 'Simon' if I marry you as Clay," Dream teases._ _

__"Gatsby and Carraway as a happy medium?" Techno asks._ _

__"I'll marry you, Mr. Gatsby," Dream says._ _

__"No, that sounds awful, I'm still going to call you 'Dream'."_ _

__"And I will call you my fiance."_ _

__"Fiance. What a beautiful word for my beloved."_ _

__Dream is gay for Gatsby, and Gatsby is gay for him._ _

__What a beginning for a new chapter, on a rickety porch swing in LA, in the sweet spring air, curled together as they were meant to be. They slip the rings onto each other's fingers, whisper sweet nothings and share long kisses, but eventually stop, just bask in their company of the stars._ _

__Techno breaks the post-proposal quiet when he sits up properly. "Do you remember our deal?"_ _

__"No?" But as soon as he says it. "Dammit!"_ _

__"I proposed and you get to do the dishes for six months!" Techno says gleefully._ _

__"You're lucky you're cute," Dream sighs._ _

__"I know I am. Now come on, I'd like to kiss you in front of Tommy and Drista and make them yell."_ _

__"We're fiances now, I think it's a reasonable thing to do."_ _

__Dream grips Techno's face and kisses him right there on the porch, and Techno dips him like they're in the middle of a tango and nearly drops him, making both of them laugh._ _

__Fiances._ _

__Dream really likes the sound of that._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the love and support on this book! The comments and bookmark notes definitely made my day multiple times. 
> 
> Check out the rest of my stuff, stay hydrated, and I'll see you next time <3


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